Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Actors Who Sadly Passed Away

"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," which stars Will Smith as the titular prince, remains one of the most iconic shows of the 1990s. Thanks to the Oscar winner's effortless charm, some old-school sitcom humor, social commentary, and arguably the best theme song ever, the show will have fans for decades to come. What's more, it helped launch Smith into the stratosphere, as he not only went on to become a major rapper but a movie star. Alas, after six seasons, he felt he'd outgrown the sitcom and was ready to dive headfirst into the next phase of his career — but he wasn't totally ready to part ways with his beloved costars. 

"You become a family," Smith said at the time, per the Los Angeles Times. "On some weeks you spend more time with your TV family than you do with your real family. It's hard to say goodbye to that atmosphere, but we felt like it was time. We've all grown as actors and as people, we had an incredibly talented cast, but the show is just limiting."

It's hard to imagine the series without said incredibly talented cast. While every member of the show's main ensemble was perfectly suited to their role (perhaps none more so than Alfonso Ribeiro as Carlton Banks), the sitcom also boasted an incredible supporting roster; everyone from Hugh Hefner to Don Cornelius to Dick Clark showed up as guest stars. Sadly, however, some members of the show's main and supporting cast have passed on in the years since the series finale aired. Here's a look at some of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" actors who have died.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner is primarily known for playing Theodore Huxtable on "The Cosby Show." That role alone would make him an eternal TV icon. On top of landing the sitcom role of a lifetime on "The Cosby Show," he also had a minor part as Eric Sanders, the boyfriend of Hilary Banks, on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." 

If you were a fan of both "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and "The Cosby Show" as a child, seeing Warner on the former was awesome. Today's kids get to watch crossovers every time they see a Marvel or DC movie. Back in the 1990s, seeing an actor from one sitcom show up on another sitcom was more than enough to turn heads. It's always reductive to say that any time in history was a "simpler time," but the media landscape of the decade was a lot simpler than it is now. Or, at the very least, Hollywood had not seized upon the concept of a crossover to the degree that it would in the 2010s and 2020s.

Warner went on vacation with his family to Costa Rica in 2025. While out in the ocean near Cocles Beach, he got caught in a strong current and drowned. He was 54 years old. In response to his death, his mother, Pamela Warner, told ABC News, "There was no shoulda, coulda woulda. I wish I would have said this, I wish I would have done this." She continued, "I don't have that. I feel that our journey together as mother and son was complete."

James Avery was one of the cornerstones of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." As Uncle Phil, he was sometimes an antagonist, but still sympathetic. His dynamic with Will Smith's character captured the ways that young men often have fraught relationships with authority figures — even authority figures who have their best interests at heart.

Interestingly, Avery had more in common with Uncle Phil than you might expect. Before becoming a buttoned-up judge, Phil was an activist during the Civil Rights movement, and his character arc provided the show with some of its political tension. In real life, Avery's mother was an activist and playwright who wrote about the Black Power movement. Avery racked up nearly 200 credits over his career, including voicing Shredder in the animated series "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," which ran from 1987 to 1993. His powerful, resonant voice made him perfect to play one of the franchise's most infamous villains. 

Avery passed away in 2013 at the age of 68 from complications following surgery. Upon his death, tributes poured in from all over the internet, including but not limited to a heartfelt message from his onscreen nephew. "Some of my greatest lessons in Acting, Living and being a respectable human being came through James Avery," Smith wrote on Facebook. "Every young man needs an UnclePhil." Years later, Smith shared a heart-wrenching memory about Avery during the "Fresh Prince" reunion. Reflecting on the emotional scene where Will (the character) asks Uncle Phil about why his father left him, Smith recalled on the HBO Max special, "I fall into his arms at the end of scene, he's holding me. ... He whispered into my ear, 'Now that's acting.'"

Virginia Capers was most known for her theatrical work. Perhaps her most notable role was in the Broadway classic "Raisin," a musical adaptation of the groundbreaking play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry. In 1974, Capers won a Tony Award for that performance. She also had roles in the silver screen music biopics "Lady Sings the Blues" (starring the one and only Diana Ross) and "What's Love Got to Do with It," a film about the relationship between Ike and Tina Turner. Some of the other famous films she appeared in include "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "The Great White Hope."

To TV audiences, she might be mostly known for her appearance as grandmother Hattie Banks in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." While she was not as prominent as other members of the cast, Capers' presence was still felt. She brought a memorable warmth, sass, and humor to a role that could have been throwaway and forgettable. Capers was part of the reason we returned to "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" again and again. Sadly, she died of pneumonia at the age of 78. 

Paying tribute to Capers, stage and screen veteran Sheryl Lee Ralph told Broadway.com, "Virginia never lost her love of theater by founding the Lafayette Players, a Los Angeles repertory theater for African-American performers. ... She is rooted in everything I have achieved, and I don't take it lightly."

Floyd Roger Myers Jr. was a child actor who appeared on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." He played a younger version of Will Smith's character, imbuing his role with a lot of the charm necessary to make you feel like the two actors were the same person at different stages of life. 

In addition to appearing in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Myers was most known for his role in "The Jacksons: An American Dream," an epic miniseries about the life and times of The Jackson 5. In that series, Myers portrayed a young Marlon Jackson. His final credit came about in a 2000 episode of "Young Americans." 

Myers pivoted away from the world acting and dove headfirst into activism. He co-founded Fellaship Men's Group, a nonprofit designed to help men discuss emotional and mental health issues. He died of a heart attack in 2025 at the age of 42. Following his death, Fellaship Men's Group posted on Instagram, "The mission will continue in your honor. Next mens meeting will be one for the books like we talked about! Love you bro, rest easy, big bro will take it from here."

Naya Rivera spent the majority of her life on television. She was most known for her role as the cheerleader Santana Lopez on "Glee," one of the most popular, controversial, and groundbreaking TV shows of the 2010s. The show changed the game for representation on television in a way that is still being felt today and it made producer and writer Ryan Murphy one of the biggest power players in modern media. It also changed the musical landscape, as many songs became popular (or at least more popular) because they appeared in one of the show's many musical numbers; it was the TikTok effect before TikTok existed. The audience for "Glee" was so dedicated that they had their own name, "Gleeks," putting them alongside Trekkies as one of the most intense television fandoms.

Before all that, Rivera appeared in an episode of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" called "Bundle of Joy" in 1993. The gag is that Rivera's character, Cindy, acts like a servant to Hilary despite being very young. While Rivera's role is small, she displayed some of the natural talent for acting that would only mature in the years to come.

Rivera went missing in 2020 after renting a pontoon boat with her 4-year-old son. The two were out swimming in Lake Piru, but when it came time to return to the boat, they struggled to make it back. Rivera died after saving her son from drowning. She was 33. Her passing led to an outpouring of sympathy from both her colleagues and her fans, with "Glee" star Chris Colfer taking to Instagram to praise her "beauty and talent."

Few artists had a career as varied as that of Isaac Hayes. He first became famous as a musician. One of the most iconic soul singer-songwriters of the 1970s, he became known for performing "Theme from Shaft," the central song of one of the most famous and influential exploitation films of all time. Hayes won an Oscar for "Theme from Shaft," but his career didn't stop there.

To Generation X audiences, Hayes is most known for playing Chef on "South Park." Hayes also appeared on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." While many of the celebrities who cameoed on the show merely played themselves, Hayes instead played a fictional character who was very similar to himself. Hayes took on the role of a singing minister who officiated Will Smith's character's wedding. Hayes and backing vocalists performed a spoof of "Theme from Shaft" for the show. The appearance was hilarious and it also gave fans inklings of the '70s disco and soul-inspired hits that Smith would release when he became a monumentally successful pop-rapper. 

After a lifetime of showcasing his talent across many mediums, Hayes died in 2008 at the age of 65. His son, Isaac Hayes III, told Variety, "If you fast-forward to modern-day R&B, you can't imagine it without lush orchestrations, not just heavy bottom and bass. I would call my dad the inventor of modern R&B."

Decades before Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian became some of the biggest celebrities on the planet, Zsa Zsa Gabor was one of the original "famous for being famous" socialites. While Gabor appeared in some successful movies such as "Queen of Outer Space" and "Moulin Rouge," she became more well-known for her extravagant Hollywood lifestyle and personal life than for any of her onscreen appearances. According to E! News, she once quipped, "I deserve attention not because of any talent, but just because of who I am." Notably, Zsa Zsa is sometimes confused with her sister, Eva Gabor, who starred in the sitcom "Green Acres" as well as the Disney animated films "The Aristocats," "The Rescuers" and "The Rescuers Down Under." Compared to Zsa Zsa, Eva achieved celebrity status through more conventional means.

Zsa Zsa had an interesting minor role on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." In one episode, she played a movie star named Sonya Lamor. While Lamor was more of an "It girl" than a revered film actor, she still had more than enough glamor about her to play a fictional screen siren. The fact that she was recognizable to a 1990s audience decades after her peak is a testament to how much mileage she got out of being "famous for being famous." Gabor died in 2016 at the age of 99 after struggling with numerous health problems for years. Every influencer probably owes her a debt of gratitude for proving that you can parlay a scandalous personal life into a successful career.

Sherman Hemsley was most famous for portraying George Jefferson on "The Jeffersons," one of the most beloved TV sitcoms of all time. George was originally a secondary character on "All in the Family" before he became the main character on his own sitcom — and it's no stretch to say the "All in the Family" spinoff shaped pop culture in a massive way. "The Jeffersons" changed the game for Black sitcoms in a way that is still being felt today. As NPR's Eric Deggans said, "The Jeffersons" was "cutting edge" for its depiction of race relations. It also paved the way for subsequent family sitcoms like "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." 

Hemsley, who brought a unique charm to everyone he ever played, took on not one, but two characters on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." In one episode, he took on the role of Judge Carl Robertson, a rival of Uncle Phil's. Hemsley was perfect for the part, as he was really adept at making his onscreen anger appear comical. That's a rare skill and it's one that he used to his advantage throughout his career. He also appeared on the show as George Jefferson in a crossover special. 

Hemsley died of lung cancer in 2014. He was 74. Of the many incredible and legendary guest stars on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," his impact on the history of television is second to none.

Some actors have one role that unquestionably stands above the rest. Pat Morita is most notable for playing Mr. Miyagi in "The Karate Kid." For his role in the film, he became the first Asian American to be nominated for the best supporting actor Oscar. On top of that, he had a long history as a television actor. Looking through his filmography, you will see a cavalcade of classic television shows, such as "Happy Days," "The Mike Douglas Show," "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," "The Odd Couple," and "The Bob Newhart Show." "I never was able to do karate," he once revealed in an interview with The Television Academy Foundation. "That's calling me a good actor. I act like I can do anything."

Like many of the show's guest stars, Morita's guest appearance on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" didn't stray much from what made him famous. On the show, he played a karate instructor. While "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" wasn't as obsessed with pop culture as later sitcoms like "Family Guy" and "American Dad!," it featured little nods to movies and, to "Karate Kid" fans, seeing Morita play a character similar to Mr. Miyagi was a delightful treat.

Morita died of kidney failure in 2005 following a urinary tract infection. He was 73 years old. While he had an impressive array of acting credits under his belt, his role in the first "Karate Kid" film alone is more than enough to ensure him a lasting legacy.

One of the biggest musical legends to guest star on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" was blues and rock icon B.B. King. He was one of the artists whose work was so foundational to early rock 'n' roll that the genre might sound completely different without his contributions to it. He served as an inspiration for rock giants such as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton (something savvy fans might be able to tell just by listening to their music). He was inducted into both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame. 

King played a musician named Pappy on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Since Will Smith was a rapper, the show was more focused on hip-hop than any other type of music. With that in mind, it was nice that the show was willing to embrace older styles of music here and there. This was not King's first foray into the world of sitcoms. Before he was on "Fresh Prince," King appeared on "The Cosby Show" as a musician named Riley Jackson. He also popped up on "Married... With Children" as a street musician and as himself on "Blossom."

King died of vascular dementia in 2015. He was 89 years old. President Barack Obama mourned his passing on the official White House website: "No one worked harder than B.B. No one inspired more up-and-coming artists. No one did more to spread the gospel of the blues."