Noel Arthur grew up in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies and moved to Harlem with his family in his early teens. Attended the United Nations International High School. Went to Denzel Washinginton's Alma Mater, Fordham University. After getting his MFA in acting at Columbia University, Noel moved to Los Angeles where casting director Johanna Ray saw him in a showcase and cast him in The Black Dahlia.