James Noble
Born
March 5, 1922
Died
March 28, 2016 (94 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Dallas, Texas, USA
The son of a Dallas wholesale coal dealer, Noble spent much of his youth attending pool halls and movie houses. He retained his expertise with a pool cue throughout his life, while his stronger interest in acting (fueled by movies) manifested itself in local stage productions and drama studies at Southern Methodist University. Following Navy service in World War II, Noble went to New York to study at the Actors Studio, then went on to a stage revival of Pygmalion wherein he met his future wife, actress Carolyn Coates. The actor appeared on such TV soap operas as As the World Turns (1956), A World Apart (1970) and such Broadway productions as "1776" (a role he took to the movie 1776 (1972)), spending much of his spare time in psychotherapy to handle his ongoing feelings of self-doubt. In films from the mid '70s, Noble principally played small roles as authority figures and politicians (Being There (1979), The Nude Bomb (1980)), with occasional larger roles. such as Bo Derek's father in 10 (1979). In 1979, Noble was cast as the genially absent-minded "Governor Gene Gatling" on the sitcom, Benson (1979), a role in which he remained until the series' 1986 cancellation. Two years later, he resurfaced on TV in the role of a Nebraska-based recording engineer on the very short-lived sitcom, First Impressions (1988).
Fake
Mr. Rousseau
2011
Beech is Back
(1 episode)
2001
They Bite
Scientist #1
1996
Bang
Rooftop Dealer
1995
Harry
Chapel · (1 episode)
1993
Peak Practice
Mr. Naughton · (1 episode)
1993
Born Kicking
Hudson
1992
Law & Order
Judge Nelson Kurland · (1 episode)
1990
Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
Mr. Hyrum Lodge
1990
Chances Are
Dr. Bailey
1989
The Absent-Minded Professor: Trading Places
Dr. Gilmore Blount
1989
Father Dowling Mysteries
Judge Karnes · (1 episode)
1989
First Impressions
(8 episodes)
1988
Paramedics
Chief Wilkins
1988
A Tiger's Tale
Sinclair
1988
The Day My Kid Went Punk
Max Smiley
1987
Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam
Leonard Weeks
1987
You Talkin' To Me?
Peter Archer
1987
Deadly Deception
Ed Shoat
1987
When the Bough Breaks
Dr. Warren Towle
1986
Perfect Strangers
(2 episodes)
1986
Cinderella
King Rupert III
1985
Faerie Tale Theatre: Cinderella
King Rupert III
1985
Night of 100 Stars II
Self
1985
The Bill
(1 episode)
1984
Murder, She Wrote
Paul Carlisle · (1 episode)
1984
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
(1 episode)
1983
Dempsey
Gavin McNab
1983
The Woman Who Willed a Miracle
Dr. Edwards
1983
Airplane II: The Sequel
Father O'Flanagan
1982
Faerie Tale Theatre
King Rupert III · (1 episode)
1982
This Is Kate Bennett...
Tom Fairmont
1982
Baby Comes Home
Dr. Elliott Olsen
1980
Being There
Kaufman
1979
Promises in the Dark
Dr. Blankenship
1979
10
Dr. Miles
1979
Benson
Governor Eugene Xavier Gatling · (158 episodes)
1979
Hart to Hart
Dr. Metz
1979
Lovey: A Circle of Children, Part II
Ed
1978
Summer of My German Soldier
Pierce
1978
Breaking Up
Haberle
1978
The Love Boat
(1 episode)
1977
The Love Boat
Martin Corell · (1 episode)
1977
The Andros Targets
Tierney · (1 episode)
1977
Death Play
1976
Dragonfly
Dr. Lee
1976
The Adams Chronicles
Jonathan Sewall · (1 episode)
1976
Starsky & Hutch
Treasury Agent Kendall · (1 episode)
1975
Who?
General Deptford
1974
1776
Rev. John Witherspoon (NJ)
1972
ABC Afterschool Special
Max Smiley · (1 episode)
1972
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me
Father Pettis
1971
The Sporting Club
Canon Pritchard
1971
A World Apart
(322 episodes)
1970
McCloud
(1 episode)
1970
What's So Bad About Feeling Good?
Board Member
1968
The Defenders
Ron Mayberry · (1 episode)
1961