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James Noble

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).


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Born:
Mar 5, 1922 In Dallas, Texas, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
50
First Appeared:
In the series The Defenders 1961-09-16
Latest Project:
Movie Fake 2011-05-09
Known For
Poster of Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
Poster of Deadly Deception
Poster of Cinderella
Poster of A World Apart
Filmography
Movie Fake Mr. Rousseau 2011-05-09
Movie Measure of Love 2004-12-31
Series Beech is Back Unknown 2001-08-21
Movie Bang Rooftop Dealer 1995-09-09
Series Peak Practice Unknown 1993-05-10
Series Harry Chapel 1993-09-18
Movie Born Kicking Hudson 1992-09-20
Movie Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again Mr. Hyrum Lodge 1990-05-06
Series Law & Order Unknown 1990-09-13
Series Father Dowling Mysteries Judge Karnes 1989-01-20
Movie Chances Are Dr. Bailey 1989-03-10
Movie A Tiger's Tale Sinclair 1988-02-12
Movie Paramedics Chief Wilkins 1988-06-01
Series First Impressions 1988-08-27
Movie Deadly Deception Ed Shoat 1987-03-08
Movie You Talkin' To Me? Peter Archer 1987-09-25
Movie Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam Leonard Weeks 1987-10-04
Movie The Day My Kid Went Punk Max Smiley 1987-10-23
Series Perfect Strangers Unknown 1986-03-25
Movie When the Bough Breaks Dr. Warren Towle 1986-10-12
Movie Cinderella King Rupert III 1985-08-14
Movie Night of 100 Stars II Self 1985-03-10
Series Murder, She Wrote Paul Carlisle 1984-09-30
Series The Bill Unknown 1984-10-16
Movie The Woman Who Willed a Miracle Dr. Edwards 1983-02-09
Series Scarecrow and Mrs. King Unknown 1983-10-03
Movie Dempsey Gavin McNab 1983-09-28
Movie This Is Kate Bennett... Tom Fairmont 1982-05-28
Movie Airplane II: The Sequel Father O'Flanagan 1982-12-10
Movie Baby Comes Home Dr. Elliott Olsen 1980-10-16
Movie Hart to Hart Dr. Metz 1979-08-25
Series Benson Governor Eugene Xavier Gatling 1979-09-13
Movie Promises in the Dark Dr. Blankenship 1979-11-02
Movie 10 Dr. Miles 1979-10-05
Movie Being There Kaufman 1979-12-19
Movie Breaking Up Haberle 1978-01-02
Movie Summer of My German Soldier Pierce 1978-10-30
Series The Andros Targets Unknown 1977-01-31
Series The Love Boat Unknown 1977-09-24
Movie Dragonfly Dr. Lee 1976-03-01
Series Starsky & Hutch Unknown 1975-09-10
Movie Who? General Deptford 1974-04-18
Movie 1776 Rev. John Witherspoon (NJ) 1972-11-09
Series ABC Afterschool Special Unknown 1972-10-04
Movie The Sporting Club Canon Pritchard 1971-02-28
Movie Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me Father Pettis 1971-09-15
Series A World Apart 1970-03-30
Series McCloud Unknown 1970-02-17
Movie What's So Bad About Feeling Good? Board Member 1968-05-24
Series The Defenders Unknown 1961-09-16