- In full:
- Fred Dalton Thompson
- Title / Office:
- United States Senate (1994-2003), United States
- Political Affiliation:
- Republican Party
Fred Thompson
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Who was Fred Thompson?
Fred Thompson (1942–2015) was an American actor and politician. He served as a U.S. Senator (1994–2003) and ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.
Thompson's career began in law and politics, including as a Watergate Committee counsel. His legal work representing Marie Ragghianti, later portrayed in the film Marie (1985), led to his acting career with roles in No Way Out (1987), Die Hard 2 (1990), and Law & Order. In 1994, Thompson successfully ran for the U.S. Senate. After leaving the Senate in 2002, he returned to acting but later explored a presidential run in 2007, withdrawing in 2008. He then went back to acting, hosted a radio program (2009-2011), and wrote a memoir, Teaching the Pig to Dance.
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What are some jobs Fred Thompson was known for?
Fred Thompson was an American actor and politician known for several prominent roles. As a politician, he served as a U.S. Senator (1994–2003) and ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Earlier in his career, Thompson was assistant U.S. attorney and minority counsel on the Senate Watergate Committee.
Thompson's acting career took off after he portrayed himself in the film Marie (1985). Subsequently, he appeared in films such as No Way Out (1987), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and Die Hard 2 (1990). Later, Thompson played a district attorney on Law & Order and its spin-offs. He also hosted a radio program (2009-2011).
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Which roles did Fred Thompson play as an actor?
Fred Thompson was an American actor and politician who served as a U.S. Senator (1994–2003) and ran for president in 2008.
Thompson's acting career began after he portrayed himself in Marie (1985), a film about a case he worked on as a lawyer. His filmography includes roles in No Way Out (1987), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Die Hard 2 (1990), and Cape Fear (1991). Later, he played a district attorney on Law & Order and its spin-offs. After a break to explore a presidential run, Thompson returned to acting in movies like Secretariat (2010) and Sinister (2012).
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What political office did Fred Thompson hold?
Fred Thompson was an American politician and actor who served as a member of the U.S. Senate from 1994 to 2003. In 2008, Thompson also sought the Republican nomination for president.
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Which famous television show featured Fred Thompson as a regular character?
Fred Thompson was a regular character on the popular television show Law & Order and its spin-offs, where he played a district attorney. He left the show in 2007 to explore a presidential run. Before his acting career, Thompson was a U.S. Senator from 1994 to 2003. Earlier in his career, he played himself in the film Marie (1985), which was based on a case he worked on as a lawyer.
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How did Fred Thompson’s political experience influence his acting career?
Fred Thompson's political experience significantly shaped his acting career. His role as minority counsel during the Watergate hearings brought him into the public eye, showcasing his authoritative demeanor. This led to him being cast as himself in the film Marie (1985), based on a case he worked on as a lawyer. His on-screen presence in Marie then launched his career as an actor, leading to roles in films such as No Way Out, The Hunt for Red October, and Die Hard 2. After serving as a U.S. Senator, Thompson returned to acting, playing a district attorney in Law & Order.
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Fred Thompson (born August 19, 1942, Sheffield, Alabama, U.S.—died November 1, 2015, Nashville, Tennessee) was an American actor and politician, who served as a member of the U.S. Senate (1994–2003) and who sought the Republican nomination for president in 2008.
Thompson was raised in Lawrenceburg, southern Tennessee. He received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and political science from Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) in 1964 and earned a law degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville in 1967. He wasted no time in exploring the political arena, and he modeled his views on those of Ronald Reagan, who was then governor of California. In 1969 he was named assistant U.S. attorney, though he left that position in 1972 to serve as the campaign manager for U.S. Sen. Howard Baker’s successful reelection bid. In 1973 Thompson made headlines as the minority (Republican) counsel at the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities (the Watergate Committee) when he asked former White House staffer Alexander Butterfield about the existence of recording devices in the Oval Office. The affirmative response to this question triggered a series of events that led to Pres. Richard M. Nixon’s resignation the following year. (See Watergate scandal.)
In 1974 Thompson returned to private law practice in Nashville, where a wrongful-termination suit paved the way for his second career. He represented the former chairperson of the state parole board, Marie Ragghianti, after Ragghianti was fired by Gov. Ray Blanton for refusing to grant early releases to inmates who had bribed members of Blanton’s staff. The story was made into the film Marie (1985), and Thompson was cast to play himself. His reassuring yet authoritative on-screen demeanour in the movie launched an acting career that included the films No Way Out (1987), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Die Hard 2 (1990), and Cape Fear (1991).
Thompson returned to politics in 1994 with a successful run for the U.S. Senate, filling the seat vacated by Al Gore when the latter became vice president. Thompson was reelected in 1996 but declined to run again in 2002, instead resuming his acting career, playing a district attorney on the popular television series Law & Order and its related spin-offs. In 2007 he quit the show in order to explore a presidential run. Among the issues he supported were lower taxes, a smaller federal government, and increased defense spending. Thompson withdrew from the race in January 2008 after finishing third in the South Carolina primary.
Thompson subsequently returned to acting, appearing in such movies as Secretariat (2010), an inspirational drama about the champion racehorse, and Sinister (2012), a horror film. In 2009–11 he hosted a radio program, and in 2010 he published the memoir Teaching the Pig to Dance.