Veteran actor and former aspiring politician Noble Willingham — known to Star Trek: The Next Generation audiences as "Texas" from the second season episode "The Royale" — has died at the age of 72.

Willingham, perhaps best known as the barkeep in Walker, Texas Ranger, never really escaped his Texas roots. He left the show in 1999 to run for a congressional seat in Texas, but lost to Democrat Max Sandlin. A Texas native, Willingham was known for his distinctive voice and gruff demeanor and will be remembered for various movie roles, including: "The Last Picture Show, "Chinatown," "Paper Moon," "Brubaker," "The Howling," "City Slickers" and "Independence Day," as well as numerous TV credits including The Waltons and Gunsmoke.

After earning a master's degree at Baylor, followed by some teaching, Willingham soon got into acting and his lengthy career was a steady mixture of television and film that saw work in six different decades.

Willingham is survived by his wife, Patti Ross Willingham, children Stori Willingham, Meghan McGlahen and John Ross McGlahen and grandson Noble Willingham III.