Former Tennessee senator, actor Fred Thompson dies
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.
