Fred Thompson Biography (Actor/Lawyer/U.S. Senator) Birthplace: Sheffield, Alabama Best known as: Actor and U.S. Senator from Tennessee (1994-2003) Fred Dalton Thompson was a Washington-Hollywood hybrid, a twice-elected United States senator and an actor who starred in movies and the TV series Law & Order. Thompson grew up in Tennessee and began a law career in 1967. He served as a U.S. Attorney (1969-72) and got involved in national politics under Tennessee Senator Howard Baker, an association that put Senate co-counsel Thompson smack in the middle of the investigation of Watergate and the Richard Nixon White House (1973-74). He fell into acting when invited to play himself in the movie Marie (1985), a drama based on a real-life political scandal in Tennessee, in which Thompson defended whistleblower Marie Ragghianti.

Thompson was a natural on screen, and during the 1980s he had a remarkable run of authoritarian character roles in top-tier features such as No Way Out (1987, starring Kevin Costner ), Days of Thunder (1990, starring Tom Cruise ), The Hunt for Red October (1990, starring Sean Connery ) and In the Line of Fire (1993, starring Clint Eastwood ). Thompson returned to Tennessee and national politics in 1994 and was elected to the U.S. Senate (filling the seat formerly held by Al Gore , who had become vice president under Bill Clinton ). A Republican, Thompson was re-elected in 1996, but chose not to run again in 2002. He then joined the cast of TV's Law & Order, but continued to maintain a profile in Washington. (He reportedly helped John Roberts get through his 2005 confirmation to the Supreme Court.) Thompson's camera-friendly paternalism and conservative ideology brought comparisons to former actor/president Ronald Reagan . Thompson quit his role on Law & Order in May of 2007 in order to run for the Republican nomination for president in 2008.

He announced his run on 6 September 2007, but dropped out of the race on 22 January 2008 after performing poorly in early primaries. He then hosted a radio show and a television show, but served mostly as an occasional guest on political entertainment programs. Extra credit: Thompson attended Memphis State University and got his law degree from Vanderbilt… He made a deal with ABC News Radio in 2006 to serve as an on-air commentator. He occasionally fills in for radio legend Paul Harvey … Thompson is 6’6″ tall, according to a 2007 article in USA Today. Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved. Fred Thompson Biography (Actor/Lawyer/U.S. Senator) Birthplace: Sheffield, Alabama Best known as: Actor and U.S. Senator from Tennessee (1994-2003) Fred Dalton Thompson was a Washington-Hollywood hybrid, a twice-elected United States senator and an actor who starred in movies and the TV series Law & Order. Thompson grew up in Tennessee and began a law career in 1967. He served as a U.S.

Attorney (1969-72) and got involved in national politics under Tennessee Senator Howard Baker, an association that put Senate co-counsel Thompson smack in the middle of the investigation of Watergate and the Richard Nixon White House (1973-74). He fell into acting when invited to play himself in the movie Marie (1985), a drama based on a real-life political scandal in Tennessee, in which Thompson defended whistleblower Marie Ragghianti. Thompson was a natural on screen, and during the 1980s he had a remarkable run of authoritarian character roles in top-tier features such as No Way Out (1987, starring Kevin Costner ), Days of Thunder (1990, starring Tom Cruise ), The Hunt for Red October (1990, starring Sean Connery ) and In the Line of Fire (1993, starring Clint Eastwood ). Thompson returned to Tennessee and national politics in 1994 and was elected to the U.S. Senate (filling the seat formerly held by Al Gore , who had become vice president under Bill Clinton ).

A Republican, Thompson was re-elected in 1996, but chose not to run again in 2002. He then joined the cast of TV's Law & Order, but continued to maintain a profile in Washington. (He reportedly helped John Roberts get through his 2005 confirmation to the Supreme Court.) Thompson's camera-friendly paternalism and conservative ideology brought comparisons to former actor/president Ronald Reagan . Thompson quit his role on Law & Order in May of 2007 in order to run for the Republican nomination for president in 2008. He announced his run on 6 September 2007, but dropped out of the race on 22 January 2008 after performing poorly in early primaries. He then hosted a radio show and a television show, but served mostly as an occasional guest on political entertainment programs. Extra credit: Thompson attended Memphis State University and got his law degree from Vanderbilt… He made a deal with ABC News Radio in 2006 to serve as an on-air commentator. He occasionally fills in for radio legend Paul Harvey … Thompson is 6’6″ tall, according to a 2007 article in USA Today.

Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved. Advertisement Advertisement Fred Thompson, former U.S. senator and actor, dies - CNNPolitics.com 158 of 159 Photos: People we lost in 2015 Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, whose passionate keynote address at the 1984 Democratic political convention vaulted him onto the national political scene, died on January 1. He was 82. Hide Caption 159 of 159 Thompson was barely 30 years old when he became minority counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee in its investigation of the Watergate scandal . He wrote a book chronicling his experiences titled "At That Point in Time: The Inside Story of the Senate Watergate Committee." A few years later, in 1978, Thompson took on the corruption case that would eventually launch his acting career. Marie Ragghianti, who was fired as chair of the Tennessee Parole Board, hired Thompson to represent her in a wrongful termination case against Gov. Ray Blanton. The case revealed a bribery scheme in which two of the governor's aides received money in exchange for granting paroles.

Ragghianti won her case and was reinstated. And Thompson was on his way to a decades-long acting career. Hollywood and Washington In 1985, Thompson made his acting debut in the film "Marie: A True Story," about his former client Ragghianti. Thompson played himself. Then came several roles in the 1990s: "The Hunt for Red October," "Die Hard 2." and "In the Line of Fire." But the attorney-turned-actor had his sights set on Washington. In 1994, he won a special election to fill Al Gore's vacant U.S. Senate seat. Thompson was re-elected for a full term in 1996, and announced in 2002 he would not run for re-election. 'Law & Order' and the presidency It was time for Thompson to get back to acting. In the 2000s, Thompson became known as District Attorney Arthur Branch on NBC's "Law & Order." He revealed in 2007 that he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A few months later, he told Jay Leno that he was running for president.

But that candidacy was short lived. He dropped out after four months. Fred Thompson: Fast facts A lasting legacy Renny Harlin, who directed "Die Hard 2," described Thompson as "a gentle giant whose loss is a tremendous one for both entertainment and politics." "Fred was a sweet, funny and fiercely intelligent guy with a gentle heart -- a bear of a man who was warm and considerate towards all those around him." Harlin said. He said Thompson "anchored 'Die Hard 2' with his powerful presence in the air traffic control tower." "I¹m lucky to have known him," Harlin said. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, whom Thompson worked for as a special council in 1980, also said Thompson had a special charisma. "Very few people can light up the room the way Fred Thompson did," Alexander tweeted. "He was my friend for nearly fifty years. I will miss him greatly." "Very few people can light up the room the way Fred Thompson did...He was my friend for nearly fifty years. I will miss him greatly..." (1/2) Fred Thompson, ‘Law & Order’ Actor and Former Senator, Dies at 73 You are using an older browser version.

Please use a supported version for the best MSN experience. Fred Thompson, ‘Law & Order’ Actor and Former Senator, Dies at 73 Variety 11/1/2015 Alex Stedman © Provided by Variety Fred Thompson , a former U.S. senator for Tennessee and actor who starred on “ Law & Order ” from 2002-2007, died Sunday of lymphoma in Nashville, his family said in a statement. He was 73. “It is with a heavy heart and a deep sense of grief that we share the passing of our brother, husband, father, and grandfather who died peacefully in Nashville surrounded by his family,” reads the statement to ABC affiliate WKRN . Thompson was also a GOP presidential candidate at one point, in addition to a Watergate attorney. He played D.A. Arthur Branch on “Law & Order” for five years, and also appeared on the show’s spinoffs “Special Victims Unit” and “Trial by Jury” as the character. Thompson, who was born in Sheffield, Ala., shifted between politics and acting frequently throughout his life.

He was elected to the Senate in 1994, and would go on to serve there for eights years. He retired from the seat in January 2003 when his term expired. His first acting role came in 1985’s Roger Donaldson-directed “Marie,” playing himself in the true story of Marie Ragghianti, who was played by Sissy Spacek. Donaldson then cast him in “No Way Out” (1987) opposite Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman, and Thompson quickly got the reputation as an actor who could portray a high-powered politican. He would go on to appear in films “Die Hard 2,” “The Hunt for Red October” and “Days of Thunder” in the ’90s before hitting his big acting break on “Law & Order.” Thompson joined the NBC procedural in 2002, during the final months of his Senate run. He left in 2007, most likely to prepare for his presidential big that would come that year.

More to come… Fred Thompson Dead: ‘Law & Order’ Actor, Former Senator Was 73 | Variety REX Shutterstock November 1, 2015 | 03:12PM PT Fred Thompson , a former U.S. senator for Tennessee and actor who starred on “ Law & Order ” from 2002-2007, died Sunday of lymphoma in Nashville, his family said in a statement. He was 73. “It is with a heavy heart and a deep sense of grief that we share the passing of our brother, husband, father, and grandfather who died peacefully in Nashville surrounded by his family,” reads the statement from his family. Fact and fiction blurred in the narrative of Thompson’s life. A lawyer who was an investigator for the Republicans on the Senate Watergate Committee, he began his acting career late in life, playing authority figures, including two U.S. presidents, only to decide to enter politics and serve as a U.S. senator from Tennessee. Thompson’s conservative D.A.

Arthur Branch was brought aboard “Law & Order” in 2002 after Dick Wolf and the other creatives behind NBC’s long-running franchise recognized a shift in the political winds in the U.S. in the wake of 9/11. (He replaced Dianne Wiest’s staunchly liberal, highly academic Nora Lewin as Manhattan district attorney.) Thompson’s Southern accent might have counted against him for the role of New York D.A., but the actor possessed the intelligence, gravitas and sense of authority necessary. He appeared as Branch on 117 episodes from 2002-2007, joining the show in the final months of his second term in the Senate, which likely made him the first sitting U.S. senator to portray someone other than himself on television. Thompson also appeared on episodes of the various “Law & Order” spinoffs. During Thompson’s run as Branch, the liberal point of view continued to be expressed on “Law & Order” by Sam Waterston’s Jack McCoy, putting the two characters in an ongoing state of relatively congenial conflict, while Branch sometimes revealed a softer side beneath the conservative hardliner.

Thompson served as senator from Tennessee from 1994 to 2003 and in May 2007 asked to be released from his “Law & Order” contract to prepare for a potential run at the 2008 GOP presidential nomination. He announced that he was running for president on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” on September 5, 2007, and withdrew from the race in January 2008. According to a report in the Seattle Times, NBC did not air reruns featuring the Branch character while Thompson was a potential or actual presidential candidate due to concerns about the equal-time rule, but episodes on TNT were not affected.

Thompson first made a significant impression as an actor in 1990, appearing in both “The Hunt for Red October” and “Die Hard 2.” In the Tom Clancy adaptation, starring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin, Thompson stood out for the sense of authenticity he brought to his brief role as an admiral who advises Baldwin’s Jack Ryan about how, to reach the title submarine, they would have to strip down a helicopter until it’s just a “flying gas can.” In “Die Hard 2” he played Trudeau, the man who runs the control tower at Dulles National Airport, which is under siege by terrorists. Unlike Dennis Franz’s chief of airport police character, who resents and impedes the intercession of Bruce Willis’ John McClane, Thompson’s more secure, more pragmatic character accepts McClane’s help because he does not feel threatened by it and realizes it is necessary. More recently, Thompson appeared in “Secretariat”; had a substantial role in the 2012 found-footage horror film “Sinister,” starring Ethan Hawke, in which Thompson played the sheriff; and also appeared that year in “The Last Ride,” a speculative look at the last three days in the life of Hank Williams.

In 2015 he was among the stars of the 2015 independent film “Unlimited,” in which he played the proprietor of an orphanage who’d left a lucrative career with NASA and as a consultant for Fortune 50o companies to serve a nobler purpose, and of the courtroom drama “A Larger Life.” He voiced President Andrew Jackson in the telepic “Rachel and Andrew Jackson: A Love Story” in 2001 (Loretta Lynn voiced Rachel) and played President Ulysses S. Grant in the HBO movie “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” in 2007. He played William Jennings Bryan, once a candidate for president, in the 2010 feature “Alleged,” about the Scopes Monkey Trial. Other TV appearances in recent years include two episodes of ” The Good Wife” in 2011-12 as Frank Michael Thomas (a thinly veiled version of himself) and two episodes of NBC series “Allegiance” as the FBI director in 2015. Freddie Dalton Thompson was born in Sheffield, Alabama, but grew up in Tennessee.

Becoming the first member of his family to go to college, he studied at Florence State College (now the University of North Alabama) before transferring to Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis), where he earned degrees in philosophy and political science in 1964. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Vanderbilt law school in 1967. He was an assistant U.S. attorney from 1969 to 1972. Thompson was minority counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee in its investigation of the Watergate scandal in 1973-74. (In 2007 the Washington Post reported, “Fred Thompson gained an image as a tough-minded investigative counsel for the Senate Watergate committee. Yet President Nixon and his top aides viewed the fellow Republican as a willing, if not too bright, ally, according to White House tapes.) In the 1980s Thompson worked as an attorney, with law offices in Nashville and Washington, D.C., but was also appointed Special Counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (1980-81) and to the Senate Intelligence Committee (1982).

Thompson got into acting because he had successfully Marie Ragghianti in a corruption case against the governor of Tennessee, and the story was being made into a movie starring Sissy Spacek; after meeting Thompson, director Roger Donaldson asked him to play himself in the 1985 feature. Thompson next appeared in a role as the CIA director in 1987 political thriller “No Way Out,” starring Kevin Costner. After guesting on TV shows including “Roseanne” and “China Beach,” he played Maj. Gen. Melrose Hayden Barry in the Manhattan Project drama “Fat Man and Little Boy,” starring Paul Newman, in 1989. For the next several years he was a busy actor, appearing in, among other films, Michael Apted’s legal thriller “Class Action”; the football comedy “Necessary Roughness”; Martin Scorsese’s “Cape Fear”; Luis Mandoki’s remake of “Born Yesterday” starring Melanie Griffith, in which Thompson played a U.S. senator; and Wolfgang Petersen’s Clint Eastwood starrer “In the Line of Fire,” in which he played the U.S. president’s chief of staff.

Having worked in government in an auxiliary capacity, in 1994 he was elected to complete the remainder of Al Gore’s term in the senate after the latter was elected vice president and was re-elected in 1996. In recent years he had remained visible on television by acting as spokesman for a company selling reverse mortgages. Thompson was twice married, the first time to Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey, when he was 17 in 1959 (they divorced in 1985). They had two sons and a daughter, the last of whom, Elizabeth “Betsy” Thompson Panici, died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in 2002. He is survived by his second wife, Jeri Kehn Thompson, whom he married in 2002; two sons by Lindsey, Freddie Dalton “Tony” Thompson Jr. and Daniel Thompson; and two children by Kehn, a daughter Hayden and a son Samuel. “Fred was one of the only people that I’ve met who was truly a renaissance man,” said “Law & Order” executive producer Dick Wolf. “Prosecutor, politician, actor, raconteur — no matter what he did, he did it incredibly well.

And he was simply a great guy. He will be missed by all those whose lives he touched.” “Fred made an impact in so many of lives, both in politics and the arts,” said SAG-AFTRA president Ken Howard in a statement. “A politician on the screen and in real life, Fred had a drive that led him to succeed in whatever path he chose. While Fred is now gone, his legacy lives on.” Several celebrities, including Elisabeth Rohm who worked with Thompson on “Law & Order,” Tim McGraw, Michael McKean and Lou Diamond Phillips have taken to social media to pay tribute to him. It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to Fred Thompson. Devastated to hear this sad news & Sending love and prayers to his family#RIP Former Tennessee senator, actor Fred Thompson dies | Las Vegas Review-Journal Former Tennessee senator, actor Fred Thompson dies Former Tennessee senator, actor Fred Thompson dies Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, seen in 2008, died at age 73 on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015.

(REUTERS/Rick Wilking) Former Tennessee senator, actor Fred Thompson dies Fred Thompson (Reuters/Keith Bedford) By Alex Stedman Variety.com LOS ANGELES — Fred Thompson, a former U.S. senator for Tennessee and actor who starred on "Law & Order" from 2002-2007, died Sunday of lymphoma in Nashville, his family said in a statement. He was 73. "It is with a heavy heart and a deep sense of grief that we share the passing of our brother, husband, father, and grandfather who died peacefully in Nashville surrounded by his family," reads the statement to ABC affiliate WKRN. Thompson was also a GOP presidential candidate at one point, in addition to a Watergate attorney. He played D.A. Arthur Branch on "Law & Order" for five years, and also appeared on the show's spinoffs "Special Victims Unit" and "Trial by Jury" as the character. Thompson, who was born in Sheffield, Ala., shifted between politics and acting frequently throughout his life. He was elected to the Senate in 1994, and would go on to serve there for eights years.

He retired from the seat in January 2003 when his term expired. His first acting role came in 1985's Roger Donaldson-directed "Marie," playing himself in the true story of Marie Ragghianti, who was played by Sissy Spacek. Donaldson then cast him in "No Way Out" (1987) opposite Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman, and Thompson quickly got the reputation as an actor who could portray a high-powered politican. He would go on to appear in films "Die Hard 2," "The Hunt for Red October" and "Days of Thunder" in the '90s before joining "Law & Order." Thompson joined the NBC procedural in 2002, during the final months of his Senate run. He left in 2007, most likely to prepare for his presidential big that would come that year. Fred Thompson biography | birthday, trivia | American Actor | Who2 Fred Thompson Biography U.S. Senator Fred Dalton Thompson was a Washington-Hollywood hybrid, a twice-elected United States senator and an actor who starred in movies and the TV series Law & Order. Thompson grew up in Tennessee and began a law career in 1967.

He served as a U.S. Attorney (1969-72) and got involved in national politics under Tennessee Senator Howard Baker, an association that put Senate co-counsel Thompson smack in the middle of the investigation of Watergate and the Richard Nixon White House (1973-74). He fell into acting when invited to play himself in the movie Marie (1985), a drama based on a real-life political scandal in Tennessee, in which Thompson defended whistleblower Marie Ragghianti. Thompson was a natural on screen, and during the 1980s he had a remarkable run of authoritarian character roles in top-tier features such as No Way Out (1987, starring Kevin Costner ), Days of Thunder (1990, starring Tom Cruise ), The Hunt for Red October (1990, starring Sean Connery ) and In the Line of Fire (1993, starring Clint Eastwood ). Thompson returned to Tennessee and national politics in 1994 and was elected to the U.S. Senate (filling the seat formerly held by Al Gore , who had become vice president under Bill Clinton ).

A Republican, Thompson was re-elected in 1996, but chose not to run again in 2002. He then joined the cast of TV’s Law & Order, but continued to maintain a profile in Washington. (He reportedly helped John Roberts get through his 2005 confirmation to the Supreme Court.) Thompson’s camera-friendly paternalism and conservative ideology brought comparisons to former actor/president Ronald Reagan . Thompson quit his role on Law & Order in May of 2007 in order to run for the Republican nomination for president in 2008. He announced his run on 6 September 2007, but dropped out of the race on 22 January 2008 after performing poorly in early primaries. He then hosted a radio show and a television show, but served mostly as an occasional guest on political entertainment programs. Extra credit Thompson attended Memphis State University and got his law degree from Vanderbilt… He made a deal with ABC News Radio in 2006 to serve as an on-air commentator. He occasionally fills in for radio legend Paul Harvey … Thompson is 6’6″ tall, according to a 2007 article in USA Today.

Fred Thompson, with larger-than-life persona, dies at 73 Fred Thompson, with larger-than-life persona, dies at 73 Fred Thompson, former U.S. senator for Tennessee, GOP presidential candidate, Watergate attorney and actor, died Sunday. Post to Facebook Fred Thompson, with larger-than-life persona, dies at 73 Fred Thompson, former U.S. senator for Tennessee, GOP presidential candidate, Watergate attorney and actor, died Sunday. Check out this story on Tennessean.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 189 Activate your digital access. Fred Thompson, with larger-than-life persona, dies at 73 Dave Boucher and Joey Garrison , The Tennessean Published 4:45 p.m. CT Nov. 1, 2015 | Updated 10:57 p.m. CT Nov. 5, 2015 A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Buy Photo Fred Thompson, right, Senate Watergate committee minority counsel, talks about his role in the investigation of the Watergate break-in with William L.

Underhill, president of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association Sept. 22, 1973. J.T. Phillips / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Watergate lawyer Fred Thompson, center, talks with Mrs. David C. Rutherford, left, and Mrs. Frank A. Woods as he was a speaker at the luncheon meeting of the Nashville Bar Association Auxiliary at the University Club Oct. 29, 1973. Dale Ernsberger / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Fred Thompson, Senate Watergate committee minority counsel, is speaking to Republican candidates Aug. 10, 1974 for a "Legislative Campaign School" put on by the state party at the Airport Hilton. Jimmy Ellis / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Fred Thompson, Senate Watergate committee minority counsel, is speaking to Republican candidates Aug. 10, 1974 for a "Legislative Campaign School" put on by the state party at the Airport Hilton. Jimmy Ellis / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Dr.

Earl Ninow, left, fired superintendent of Western State Psychiatric Hospital, and his attorney Fred Thompson, are discussing strategy before a state administrative hearing in Nashville Oct. 6, 1975. Dale Ernsberger / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Dr. Earl Ninow, left, fired superintendent of Western State Psychiatric Hospital, and his attorney Fred Thompson, are discussing strategy before a state administrative hearing in Nashville Oct. 6, 1975. Dale Ernsberger / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Marie Ragghianti, right, who was fired as chairwoman of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, addresses a press conference with her attorney, Fred Thompson, Aug. 4, 1977. Dan Loftin / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Actor Charlton Heston, left, and senate candidate Fred Thompson are greeting guests at Big Springs Sports Club in Murfreesboro, during Thompson's trap/skeet fund-raising shoot June 23, 1994. Heston joined friend Thompson for a two-day campaign blitz in Tennessee.

Mike DuBose / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Actor Charlton Heston, left, and senate candidate Fred Thompson are greeting guests at Big Springs Sports Club in Murfreesboro, during Thompson's trap/skeet fund-raising shoot June 23, 1994. Heston joined friend Thompson for a two-day campaign blitz in Tennessee. Mike DuBose / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Sen. Fred Thompson, left, Lorrie Moran and Naomi Judd stop to chat with Entertainment Tonight before heading to their seats for the annual CMA Awards show at the Grand Ole Opry House Oct. 4, 1995. Delores Delvin / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Fred Thompson, left, is shaking hands with Houston Gordon before the start of their U.S. Senate debate at WDCN-TV Oct. 11, 1996. Nina Long / The Tennessean U.S. Senate candidate Fred Thompson talks to supporters at the Republican Headquarters in Springfield, Tenn. Oct. 26, 1996.

George Walker IV / The Tennessea Fullscreen Buy Photo Senators Fred Thompson, left, and Bill Frist are touring tornado-damaged areas of East Nashville April 18, 1998. Sen. Frist, right, talks with the minister of Aldersgate United Methodist Church, James Norton as the church received extensive damage. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Sen. Fred Thompson is portraying Andrew Jackson in a one-act play at The Hermitage in Nashville Oct. 3, 1998. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Sen. Fred Thompson is applauding the opening remarks at David Lipscomb's McQuiddy gymnasium Nov. 30, 1998. Sen. Thompson was there to address the student convocation on moral leadership. Michael Clancy / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, right, talks with CNN's Al Hunt near the Tennessee delegates on the floor of the GOP National Convention in Philadelphia July 31, 2000. Bill Steber / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Under television lights with the Republican National Convention stage in the background, Sen.

Fred Thompson, left, smiles for the camera as he does one interview after another in Philadelphia Aug. 1, 2000. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Always surrounded by his people, including State Director Bob Davis, right, Sen. Fred Thompson gets a rare break in his schedule as he waits in the green room of CNN until he is called for an interview at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia Aug. 1, 2000. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Sen. Fred Thompson watches the latest news on a monitor inside the CNN studios at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia Aug. 1, 2000 while waiting to be interviewed by the network. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson addresses a meeting of the Rotary Club at the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville during a luncheon Aug. 20, 2001. Bill Steber / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., center, is being greeted by supporters as he makes his way to his table at the GOP Statesmen's Dinner Sept.

8, 2001 at the Opryland Hotel. Bradly J. Boner / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Sen. Fred Thompson addresses the congregation during Sunday morning services in the at Two Rivers Baptist Church Sept. 16, 2001 in the aftermath of the 911 tragedy. Bill Steber / The Tennessean Former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee. Billy Kingsley / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Sen. Fred Thompson announces in a press conference March 8, 2002 that he will not seek another term in the Senate. Thompson called his stint as Senator "the greatest honor of my professional life" but added that "I just don't have the heart" for another campaign. Adriane Jaeckle / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Sen. Fred Thompson, left, talks about bringing the party together to support Lamar Alexander in his bid for Thompson's Senate seat during a news conference Aug. 5, 2002. File / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo The adult sons of late U.S. Sen.

Fred Thompson are suing Thompson's wife Jeri — seen here with the former "Law and Order" star in 2003 — over how she has handled the Fred Thompson estate. Randy Piland / File /The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Fred Thompson and his wife, Jeri, arrive for the Swan Ball at Cheekwood on June 11, 2005. Jeri Thompson says the late senator's adult sons were never part of his will, the latest in a legal fight over Fred Thompson's estate. File / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Former Sen. Fred Thompson, with wife Jeri Kehn Thompson and their two children, daughter Hayden, 3, and Samuel, 10 months, are joining other family members at his mother's home in Franklin, Tenn. to celebrate several family member birthdays Aug. 15, 2007. Billy Kingsley / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Presidential candidate Fred Thompson, top center, is shaking hands with his hometown crowd after speaking on the town square in Lawrenceburg Sept. 15, 2007.

Sanford Myers / The Tennessean Former Tennessee Senator and Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson is speaking outside the F&M Bank before a fundraiser breakfast in Clarksville, Tenn. Sept. 27, 2007. Greg Williamson / The Leaf-Chron Fullscreen Buy Photo Al Gore, Fred Thompson and Eddie George are talking before the start of the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate at Belmont University Oct. 7th, 2008. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, center, chats with his friend and former Sen. Fred Thompson before speaking to a crowd of supporters Feb. 27, 2012 in Nashville. John Partipilo / The Tennessean Former Sen. Fred Thompson speaks as he helps lead a kick-off event at the State Capitol for Amendment 2, a proposed constitutional amendment dealing with how the state selects judges in Nashville April 29, 2014. Samuel M. Simpkins / The Tenness Fullscreen Former Sen. Fred Thompson, left, Gov. Bill Haslam, and former Gov.

Phil Bredesen talk to the media after leading a kick-off event at the State Capitol for Amendment 2, a proposed constitutional amendment dealing with how the state selects judges in Nashville April 29, 2014. Samuel M. Simpkins / The Tenness Fullscreen Buy Photo Sen. Lamar Alexander, center left, is being joined by Fred Thompson, center right, and Gov. Bill Haslam, right, on his campaign stop at City Cafe in Brentwood, Tenn. Aug. 5, 2014. Shelley Mays / The Tennessean Fullscreen Buy Photo Sen. Lamar Alexander, left, laughs with former Sen. Fred Thompson while traveling on Alexander's campaign bus in Middle Tennessee Aug. 5, 2014. Shelley Mays / The Tennessean Like this topic? You may also like these photo galleries: Replay Former Sen. Fred Thompson, of Tennessee, speaks during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., on Sept. 2, 2008. (Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast, ASSOCIATED PRESS) Story Highlights Fred Thompson died on Sunday in Nashville. He was 73.

He served as counsel to the Senate committee investigating the Watergate scandal. Mr. Thompson served in the U.S. Senate from 1994 to 2003. As an actor, he had roles on NBC's "Law & Order" and in films such as "The Hunt for Red October." Fred Thompson, a former U.S. senator from Tennessee, GOP presidential candidate, Watergate attorney and actor who starred on the television drama "Law and Order," died on Sunday in Nashville. He was 73. Mr. Thompson died after a recurrence of lymphoma, according to a prepared statement issued by the Thompson family. Mr Thompson, who had recently purchased a house in Nashville to return to Tennessee, was first diagnosed with cancer in 2004. "It is with a heavy heart and a deep sense of grief that we share the passing of our brother, husband, father, and grandfather who died peacefully in Nashville surrounded by his family," the Thompson family's statement reads. "Fred once said that the experiences he had growing up in small-town Tennessee formed the prism through which he viewed the world and shaped the way he dealt with life," his family said.

"Fred stood on principle and common sense, and had a deep love for and connection with the people across Tennessee whom he had the privilege to serve in the United States Senate. He enjoyed a hearty laugh, a strong handshake, a good cigar, and a healthy dose of humility. Fred was the same man on the floor of the Senate, the movie studio, or the town square of Lawrenceburg, his home." Haslam orders flags to half-staff to honor Thompson Standing at least 6 feet, 5 inches with a booming voice, Mr. Thompson and his larger-than-life persona played a role in several key moments that shaped the U.S. and Tennessee political landscape. As an attorney, he helped lead to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. As an actor, he starred in some of the most prominent films and television series of his time. And as a politician, he served the state of Tennessee in the U.S. Senate from 1994 to 2003, before making a brief run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Fred Thompson remembered by Tennesseans, others "Today Tennessee lost a talented and admired statesman and many of us lost a beloved friend," said former U.S.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, whose Senate term overlapped with Mr. Thompson's time in Washington. "Working at his side in the Senate for eight years, Fred embodied what has always been the best of Tennessee politics — he listened carefully and was happy to work across the aisle for causes that he believed were right." “Tennessee has lost a great statesman and one of her favorite sons” Gov. Bill Haslam Mr. Thompson was elected in Tennessee as a Republican in 1994 to fill the unexpired term of Al Gore, who had became vice president two years earlier. On the campaign trail, Mr. Thompson famously crisscrossed the state in a rented red pickup truck before soundly defeating Democrat Jim Cooper — currently Nashville's congressman — in what was a dominant election year for Republicans nationally. In a prepared statement, Gore said he was saddened to learn of Mr. Thompson's death. "His longtime dedication to public service helped millions of people around the country and here, in our home state," Gore said. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said Mr. Thompson will be missed. (Photo: Submitted) "Tennessee has lost a great statesman and one of her favorite sons," Haslam said.

"Crissy and I have always appreciated his friendship, and we will miss him." U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., called Mr. Thompson's personality "infectious" and said he had a way of making all of those around him strive to be better. "Fred never forgot where he came from, and our state and country miss his common-sense approach to public service," Corker said. "I greatly appreciated his friendship and am saddened to learn of his passing." Democrats, including former Rep. Bob Clement, D-Nashville, remembered Mr. Thompson as someone who put aside partisanship to solve problems. Clement, a personal friend of Mr. Thompson who briefly attended elementary school with him in Nashville, said Mr. Thompson could "absolutely take over a room" with his physical presence, personality and charm. "He was a good-ol'-boy from Lawrence County with a lot of talent and a lot of gifts," Clement said. Early life Born in Alabama, Fred Dalton Thompson grew up across the state line in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. Known then as "Freddie," Mr.

Thompson was described as a "class cut-up" and "clown" by a high school basketball teammate in a Boston Globe article . Although he was a well-respected athlete, his high school banned him from playing basketball after he married then-wife Sarah Lindsey at the age of 17. Not a particularly impressive student, he struggled with school and his future until his father-in-law gave him the autobiography of Clarence Darrow, the famed attorney from the Scopes trial in Dayton, Tenn. "I just knew it. I was 17 and I wanted be a lawyer. It's the only thing I considered for five minutes," Mr. Thompson told the Globe in 2007. "Until I was 17, it never occurred to me I had to be anything, but at 17 I knew I wanted to be a lawyer." “Very few people can light up the room the way Fred Thompson did.” U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander He made good on his plans, earning a law degree from Vanderbilt University in 1967. Mr. Thompson started working as an assistant U.S. attorney, where he met current U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.

Alexander introduced him to longtime U.S. Sen. Howard Baker, according to the Globe profile. Baker became a mentor for Mr. Thompson, in both his professional and political life. In turn Mr. Thompson served as Baker's campaign manager during his successful 1972 run. That relationship brought Mr. Thompson to Washington, D.C., and to a role within the Watergate investigation. “Very few people can light up the room the way Fred Thompson did," Alexander said in a prepared statement Sunday. "He used his magic as a lawyer, actor, Watergate counsel, and United States senator to become one of our country’s most principled and effective public servants. He was my friend for nearly 50 years. I will miss him greatly. Honey and I and our entire family send our love and sympathy to Jeri and the Thompson family.” Watergate Baker, the ranking Republican on the Senate Watergate Committee investigating President Richard Nixon, secured a job for Mr. Thompson as committee counsel. Nixon was none too pleased with the appointment of Mr. Thompson, who was 30 at the time. Mr.

Thompson wasn't "very smart" in the eyes of Nixon, according to a 2007 review by The Associated Press of White House tapes. "Oh s***, that kid," Nixon said when told by his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, of Mr. Thompson's appointment on Feb. 22, 1973, according to the review. "Well, we're stuck with him," Haldeman said. Although the same tapes showed Nixon thought Mr. Thompson would be friendly to his cause — Baker reportedly assured Nixon that Mr. Thompson was a "big mean fella" — it was Mr. Thompson's knowledge of the tapes themselves that helped seal the president's fate. (Photo: File photo) Lore says it was Mr. Thompson who helped phrase the famed Baker question, "What did the president know and when did he know it?" But the Associated Press accounting notes a different question from Mr. Thompson himself that truly spurred Nixon's downward spiral. Through GOP investigators, Mr. Thompson learned from former White House aide Alexander Butterfield about the recording system within the White House. Although Mr.

Thompson told the White House that the committee knew about the tapes, a move that resulted in years of criticism from Democrats, he still was the first to bring up the matter of the tapes in a public hearing. On July 16, Mr. Thompson asked Butterfield during a hearing if he was "aware of the installation of any listening devices in the Oval Office of the president." As noted in the Associated Press report, the question, and its answer, precipitated the president's resignation nearly one year later. "Legalisms aside, it was inconceivable to me that the White House could withhold the tapes once their existence was made known. I believed it would be in everyone's interest if the White House realized, before making any public statements, the probable position of both the majority and the minority of the Watergate committee," Mr. Thompson wrote in one of his books, according to the report. Gore, the former vice president, said Mr. Thompson's "extraordinary integrity while working with Senator Howard Baker on the Watergate Committee helped our nation find its way." "I was deeply inspired by his matter-of-fact, no-nonsense moral courage in that crucible," Gore said.

"Tennessee and our nation owe a great debt to Fred Thompson." Mr. Thompson worked as a lobbyist off and on for roughly more than 20 years after serving as counsel to several legislative committees. Hollywood In 1977 Mr. Thompson found himself representing the whistle-blower in one of Tennessee's biggest political scandals. In her role as a parole administrator, Marie Ragghianti refused to release inmates granted pardons after paying then-Gov. Ray Blanton. Mr. Thompson successfully represented Ragghianti in a wrongful termination case, helping her win a settlement and a return to her job in 1978. That case eventually became the subject of a book and launched Mr. Thompson's acting career. Mr. Thompson played himself in the 1985 version of the movie “Marie." Critics praised his performance, and more roles soon followed. Five years later, Mr.

Thompson had roles in three of the biggest films of 1990: “Days of Thunder,” “The Hunt for Red October” and “Die Hard 2.” He also enjoyed a five-year run on NBC’s “Law and Order” as District Attorney Arthur Branch from 2002-2007. Though he took a break to run for the Republican nomination for president in 2008, acting remained a constant in Mr. Thompson’s life. He appeared in box office hits as recently as 2012, with a role in the horror film “Sinister,” and had a recurring role on NBC’s short-lived 2015 series “Allegiance.” (Photo: Doug Mills / The Associated Press) Senate and the presidency In 1994 Mr. Thompson successfully earned a seat in the U.S. Senate by beating Cooper 61 percent to 39 percent. While Cooper criticized Mr. Thompson for acting like a Tennessean while living the life of a Washington lobbyist and Hollywood star, Mr. Thompson argued in a New York Times article that "in many respects, I am an average Tennessean." "I worked in a factory.

I drive a truck. I practice law. I was a federal prosecutor. I've worked without health insurance. I've worked for minimum wage. ... Like a lot of people in Tennessee, I had to get with it to get by," Mr. Thompson told the Times in 1994. Mr. Thompson won re-election in 1996 by an equally wide margin, but chose not to run again in 2002. He returned to acting, assuming his well-known role on "Law and Order" in 2002. But he started to again move away from acting and back toward politics in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election. Eventually announcing as a candidate, Mr. Thompson underwhelmed. He never placed higher than third in any of the early primary states and dropped out of the race in late January 2008. In his book "Teaching the Pig to Dance: A Memoir of Growing Up and Second Chances," Mr.

Thompson described his failed candidacy as the first time in his life he "couldn’t accomplish something I had set out to do.” "It occurred to me that, to paraphrase one of Churchill’s comments, perhaps I had more to be humble about than I had realized. It also occurred to me that this was a pretty doggone expensive way to achieve a little humility," Mr. Thompson wrote in the book, published in 2010. “Maybe I needed to be reminded of what an old-timer told me years ago after I’d had some success: ‘Just remember, son, the turnout at your funeral is still going to depend a hell of a lot on the weather.' " Mr. Thompson is survived by his wife, Jeri Thompson, and their children Hayden and Sammy; his brother, Ken; his adult children Tony and Dan; and several grandchildren. Staff writer Dave Paulson contributed to this story. CLOSE Fred Dalton Thompson - IMDb IMDb Actor Fred Dalton Thompson was born on August 19, 1942 in Sheffield, Alabama, USA as Freddie Dalton Thompson.

He was an actor, known for Sinister (2012), Law & Order (1990) and Die Hard 2 (1990). He was married to Jeri Kehn Thompson and Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey. He died on November 1, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. See full bio » Born: Share this page: Related News a list of 24 people created 16 Feb 2011 a list of 35 people created 28 Feb 2011 a list of 21 people created 03 Mar 2013 a list of 32 people created 20 May 2014 a list of 39 people created 24 Sep 2014 Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDbPage How much of Fred Dalton Thompson's work have you seen? User Polls 2011-2012 The Good Wife (TV Series) Frank Michael Thomas 2004 Evel Knievel (TV Movie) Jay Sarno Gordon Lewis / Prosecutor Mr. McGonigal - The Juror (1993) ...

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Reinhardt 1988 Wiseguy (TV Series) 1988 Unholy Matrimony (TV Movie) Frank Sweeny (as Fred Thompson) Fred Thompson (as Fred Thompson) Hide 2016 God's Not Dead 2 (in loving memory of - as Fred Thompson) Hide 2014 Marcus & Joni (TV Series) Himself 2013 America's Book of Secrets (TV Series documentary) Himself 2005-2012 Meet the Press (TV Series) Himself 1999-2010 The Daily Show (TV Series) Himself - Fred Thompson (2010) ... Himself (as Fred Thompson) - Paul Rudd (1999) ...

Himself (as Fred Thompson) 2010 Good Morning America (TV Series) Himself 2009 Glenn Beck (TV Series) Himself - Former Tennessee Senator 2008 Entertainment Tonight (TV Series) Himself 2008 The O'Reilly Factor (TV Series) Himself 1995-2007 Charlie Rose (TV Series) Himself 2007 Larry King Live (TV Series) Himself 2007 CNN/YouTube Republican Debate (TV Movie) Himself 2007 The Colbert Report (TV Series) Himself 2006 This Week (TV Series) Himself 2004-2005 Hannity & Colmes (TV Series) Himself 2005 Jerry Orbach Tribute (Video short) Himself 2000 Dennis Miller Live (TV Series) Himself 2015 Entertainment Tonight (TV Series) Himself 2015 The Seventies (TV Series documentary) Himself - Minority Counsel, Watergate Committee 2008 The O'Reilly Factor (TV Series) Himself 2007 The Colbert Report (TV Series) Himself 1983 Vietnam: A Television History (TV Series documentary)

 Himself Personal Details Other Works: (9/2/04) Introduced the film about President George W.

Bush shown at the Republican National Convention prior to the president's speech accepting the party's nomination for a second term. Thompson also narrated the film. See more » Publicity Listings: 2 Print Biographies | 2 Interviews | 24 Articles | 2 Magazine Cover Photos | See more » Alternate Names: Ored Dalton | Fred Thompson | Sen. Fred Dalton Thompson Height: Did You Know? Personal Quote: [from a speech given before the Commonwealth Club of California] After two years in Washington, I often long for the realism and sincerity of Hollywood. Trivia: When he joined the cast of Law & Order (1990) in the fall of 2002, Thompson (District Attorney Arthur Branch) became the first serving U.S. Senator to take a regular TV acting job. His term did not end until January 2003. See more » Trademark: Often plays figures of authority. See more » Star Sign:

Question: What Tennessee senator was also an actor who starred in "Law & Order" and "The Hunt for Red October"?
Answer: Fred Thompson