As an actor, he has had guest roles in TV series Big Sky, Police Rescue, Water Rats, Timetrax, Above the Law and Tales of the South Pacific. For the last two and a half years he has a semi-regular role in All Saints as the neuro surgeon Dr John Madsen. 

He appeared in the mini-series Hills End, and films The Dreaming, Nostradamus Kid, A Sting in the Tail and Call me Mr. Brown. In 1999 played Sorrentino in the telemovie Airtight, and Mr. Norris in the feature film The Monkeys Mask. In 2000 he played a support lead in the telemovie A Virtual Nightmare.

This is a damn cool set. Right now as I type this, I’m in… what I believe to be Minas Tirith’s Tower Hall.

The actor, John Noble, I believe is the bordering on madness King… Faramir has just now given his report to his liege and father. Denethor is of course outraged at the turn of events, convinced that his now departed son Boromir would have brought him the ring. The shot I’m watching is the camera, solely upon Denethor.

I’ve never seen this actor playing Denethor before… But he has a look of evil and twisted humanity and sadness all about him. A look of desperate frailty… His hair long and stringy… peppered black and white. When he smiles with a mad Manson-esque look in his eyes… which quickly transforms into a snarl not unlike that of wild dog. He is, quite scary and disturbed looking.
Meanwhile, just behind the camera for eyeline acting and line feeding is David Wenham as Faramir. He is out of armor…. And is now wearing his brown leather two buckled boots…. No heels, flat across the bottom… an olive green flat of cloth covering his below abdomen and legs…. He’s wearing the leather chest piece with the embossed symbol of… the tree in a used and cracked up silver lamet type deal. Though, it is well worn…. It has seen better days…. Faramir is in the absolute best of ‘olden’ times garb… not the brilliant colors of the 1950’s knights in armor….

But more muted… real colors. Everything worn, nothing new looking.

Denethor…. Well when I described his hair to you, in a way, that describes the entirety of his character look. Salt and pepper. He has the days growth peppering of stubble…. His robes a deep deep black with silver/grayish fur…. For me, I’ll call it wolf pelt, but it would probably be something a bit more… a bit of higher standing.

Meanwhile, in the 2nd Unit monitor window, I see what seems to be a coronation scene. This is, well, the coronation scene. I suppose at one level I could be on that set, but frankly… this scene is of more dramatic oomph. Besides, I’ve been curious how good this John Noble chap is. I have to say… DAAAAMMMMNNNNN, intensity is not an issue… I’ve watched 9 takes of this one scene… and everytime the look in his eye… the ferocity… followed by a look of loathing… then fatherly love… then a feigned bit of weakness as he stumbles… then finally indignation and outrage.
I never really had a iron clad mental image of Denethor… I suppose I had always imagined just a weakened old man… That is not what I’m seeing.

Here is a man driven to madness by fear.

excerpts from: A Major Event at Minas Tirith
by John Forde 

Meanwhile, WETA technicians remove David Wenham's winged helmet to give the actor a breather between takes. The Australian star of The Boys and Better Than Sex plays Faramir, youngest son of Denethor, the ailing Steward of Gondor.
Wenham admits his scenes are difficult. "I come to work every day and get yelled at by my father," he laughs. "Faramir has the legacy of his dead brother--his father's favorite--to live up to. He gets pushed to his limits and decides to ride into battle to prove himself--even though it's a suicide mission."
That's one hell of an Oedipal complex.
John Noble, the Australian theater vet playing the father, agrees Denethor can be cruel. "But it's my job to show the humanity of the man. He's literally driven mad by grief and fear."
"We all carry our parents' history with us," Noble says. "Denethor resents never being king, and Boromir inherits that bitterness. It's what leads him [Boromir] to try to seize the Ring."
Noble's scenes are sure to be...smokin'. Thinking Faramir is dead, Denethor hurls his son's (still living) body onto a burning funeral pyre--then throws himself on. "I get to go out screaming amid burning flames. Who could ask for a more dramatic send-off?" Noble laughs.

For now, Wenham redons his helmet and walks--John Wayne-style--in his armor to film the departure scene. As Faramir leads his soldiers across Minas Tirith, Gandalf bursts through the assembled Gondorians, entreating him to stay. Jackson's fluid camera follows Faramir, then swivels to show Gandalf standing, saddened and alone, as the horsemen file past.

Wenham's delivery is quiet and somber. He seems resolved to fight, yet nervous. ("He's absolutely terrified, mate!" Wenham says with a chuckle.) He dismounts again and watches the playback with Jackson--who suggests he speak the line as if telling Gandalf to butt out of his father-son dispute.

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