Noble's early acting career started in theater throughout the 1970s and 1980s.[1] For 10 years, he was an artistic director for the Stage Company of South Australia.[1] Noble was a Trustee of the Adelaide Festival Centre and chairman of the Adelaide Festival of the Arts.[1] In 1979, he starred in Errol Flynn's Great Big Adventure Book for Boys at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.[1] In 1984, Noble received a nomination by South Australian Premier John Bannon, for the Young Australian of the Year award.[1]
Noble at age 40 made his film debut in the 1988 horror film The Dreaming.[1]
He made occasional appearances on the television series All Saints. His performance as Denethor, son of Ecthelion, in The Lord of the Rings trilogy result in his becoming better known to international audiences. He played Russian Consul Anatoly Markov in the sixth season of the US television series 24.
He won awards when starring as eccentric scientist Walter Bishop in the television series Fringe for 5 seasons (2008–2013).[1]
Noble played Morland Holmes, father of Sherlock Holmes, in Elementary.[2] He was a series regular for season 4 with guest appearances in seasons 6 and 7.[2]
Noble divides his time between residences in New York City and Sydney, Australia, with wife Penny Noble. They have three children, including actress Samantha Noble. In 2011, Noble's hobbies were reported to be "music, painting, and narration".[5] He studies theoretical physics and requested that the writers of Fringe always keep things grounded in what could be scientifically feasible.[6]
In 2012, Noble was diagnosed with osteoporosis. His charity, Noble Bones, helps to raise awareness of the disease.[7]
^ abcdef"John Noble (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 9 March 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
