James Wilkes 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.
Life and career Noble studied acting and engineering at Southern Methodist University before leaving to serve in the United States Navy during World War II. Returning from the war, Noble studied acting under Lee Strasberg and made appearances in Broadway theater.
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 and also appeared in various made-for-television films over the course of his career (such as the 1978 tele-film "Breaking Up" with Lee Remick).
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).
Personal life Noble was married to actress Carolyn Coates from 1956 until her death in 2005. They had one child, a daughter.
Noble had lived with his family in Leonia, New Jersey, before moving to California in 1980.
Death 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.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1968 What's So Bad About Feeling Good? Board Member Uncredited1971 The Sporting Club Canon Pritchard 1971 Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me Father Pettis1972 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
References
External links
James Noble at the University of Wisconsin's Actors Studio audio collection James Noble (Aveleyman) James Noble on Find a Grave