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James Wilkes[citation needed] Noble (March 5, 1922 – March 28, 2016) was an American actor, best known for his portrayal of sweet-natured, dense, naive Governor Eugene X. Gatling on ABC's 1979–1986 sitcom Benson.[1]
James Noble | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Wilkes Noble March 5, 1922 |
| Died | March 28, 2016 (aged 94) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1950–2011 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Noble studied acting and engineering at Southern Methodist University before leaving to serve in the United States Navy during World War II.[2] Returning from the war, Noble studied acting under Lee Strasberg and made appearances in Broadway theater.[citation needed]
His television career started in soap operas such as The Brighter Day, As the World Turns, The Doctors as Dr. Bill Winters and A World Apart. His big screen roles included Reverend John Witherspoon in the film version of the Broadway musical 1776 (1972); assorted roles as doctors in films such as One Summer Love (1976), 10 (1979) and Promises in the Dark (1979); Kaufman, the president's chief of staff, in Being There (1979); Father O'Flanagan in the comedy sequel Airplane II: The Sequel (1982); Sinclair in A Tiger's Tale (1987); Chief Wilkins in the comedy Paramedics (1988) and Dr. Bailey in Chances Are (1989). He was also the spokesman in various Pepto-Bismol commercials in the 1970s.
Noble played the father of Larry Appleton in the 1980s sitcom Perfect Strangers. Noble played the live-action version of Archie Comics character Hiram Lodge in the movie Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again (1990).
Noble was married to actress Carolyn Coates from 1956 until her death in 2005.[2] They had one child, a daughter.[citation needed]
Noble had lived with his family in Leonia, New Jersey, before moving to California in 1980.[3]
Noble died on March 28, 2016, at the age of 94. A spokesman for Noble's family said that the actor had suffered a stroke the week before his death.[1][2]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | What's So Bad About Feeling Good? | Board Member | Uncredited |
| 1971 | The Sporting Club | Canon Pritchard | |
| 1971 | Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me | Father Pettis | |
| 1972 | 1776 | Rev. John Witherspoon (NJ) | |
| 1974 | Who? | General Deptford | |
| 1976 | One Summer Love | Dr. Lee | |
| 1976 | Death Play | Norman | |
| 1978 | Summer of My German Soldier | FBI Agent Pierce | |
| 1979 | 10 | Dr. Miles | |
| 1979 | Promises in the Dark | Dr. Blankenship | |
| 1979 | Being There | Kaufman | |
| 1982 | Airplane II: The Sequel | Father O'Flanagan | |
| 1987 | A Tiger's Tale | Sinclair | |
| 1987 | You Talkin' to Me? | Peter Archer | |
| 1988 | Paramedics | Chief Wilkins | |
| 1989 | Chances Are | Dr. Bailey | |
| 1995 | Bang | Rooftop Dealer | |
| 2011 | Fake | Mssr. Rousseau |
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