James Noble

A remarkable life: James Noble, died on a Monday, March 28, 2016 (at age 94) at Norwalk Hospital after suffering a stroke, according to his daughter, Jessica Katherine Noble Cowan. Born in Dallas, Noble studied acting under Lee Strasberg at the NYC Actors Studio. His Broadway credits include "A Far Country", "Strange Interlude", "The Runner Stumbles" and most notably, "1776". He also appeared in the Warner Brothers' feature film version of 1776 (1972), with Blythe Danner and John Cullum; and played Bo Derek's father in Blake Edwards' hit film, 10 (1979). Noble played Dr. Winters (1967-1968, 42 episodes) in the NBC soap opera, The Doctors (1963) (1963-1982); played Dr. Morris (1976) in ABC Capital Cities' One Life to Live (1968) (1968-2013), and played Rev. Harris (1977) on NBC-Proctor & Gamble Productions' Another World (1964) (1964-1999). From 1979-1986, he starred in Benson (1979), a spin-off of Soap (1977), that saw Robert Guillaume move from irreverent butler to manager of the home of Noble's scatterbrained governor role. Nobel's other TV credits include most of the hits of the 1970s and 1980s, including Aaron Spelling's Fantasy Island (1977), Hart to Hart (1979), Starsky and Hutch (1975), The Love Boat (1977) and McCloud (1970). He married actress Carolyn Coates, and the two appeared onstage together in a number of regional productions including "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. His wife died in 2005. After his years in Hollywood, Noble returned to Connecticut and his theatrical roots. He was an active member of the Theatre Artists Workshop, since 1988. At 85, he formed "Open the Gate Pictures", with his producing partner, Colleen Murphy, and made a short film, Glacier Bay (2006).

Lives in Norwalk, Connecticut and is co-founder, with Colleen Murphy, of the film production company, "Open the Gate Pictures". He is an active member of The Theatre Artists Workshop of Westport, Connecticut. [January 2007]

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.

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.