Whether ‘tis Noble in the mud who suffered the slings and arrows…

Veteran character actor Noble Willingham, who made a living out of crusty, cranky old westerners and was a living definition of "you’d know him if you saw him," died Saturday at the age of 73. Best known as the Master to Chuck Norris Grasshopper on Walker, Texas Ranger, Willingham also played Tim Allen’s boss Mr. Binford on Home Improvement, hired and fired Robin Williams in Good Morning, Vietnam and was as happy as a puppy dog with two peters when Billy Crystal brought in the herd in City Slickers. Before entering acting, Willingham was a high school economics teacher, and briefly left acting for an unsuccessful 2000 run at a seat in Congress.