Biography
As an actor and former United States Senator, Fred Dalton Thompson had been both widely-recognized in prominent onscreen roles and active in important historical events. A former litigator, Thompson was plucked from private practice by former Tennessee senator Howard Baker in 1973 to serve as the Republican counsel for the Senate Watergate Committee. Thompson made an immediate splash, asking Richard Nixon's former deputy assist Alexander …
Fred Thompson SlideShow
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Career Milestones
| Born in Alabama | ||
| Raised in Lawrenceburg, TN | ||
1969 | Served as an assistant U.S. attorney | |
1972 | Campaign manager for Senator Howard Baker's successful re-election | |
1973 | Served as co-chief counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee in its investigation of the Watergate scandal | |
1977 | Took on a Tennessee Parole Board case that ultimately toppled Tennessee Governor Ray Blanton from power on charges of selling pardons; the scandal became the subject of a book and a movie titled "Marie" | |
1979 | Appeared in the documentary "The Wobblies" | |
1985 | Made feature acting debut as himself in "Marie: A True Story"; film launched his acting career | |
1987 | First fictional role in a film, "No Way Out" as CIA Director Marshall | |
1988 | Appeared as Dr. Knox Pooley on CBS series "Wiseguy" | |
1990 | Appeared in action blockbusters "Die Hard 2" and "Days of Thunder" | |
1990 | Cast in "The Hunt for Red October," starring Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery | |
1991 | Cast in the remake of the 1962 film "Cape Fear" directed by Martin Scorsese | |
1992 | First TV miniseries, "Stay the Night" (ABC) | |
1992 | TV-movie debut, "Bed of Lies" (ABC) | |
1993 | Portrayed White House Chief of Staff opposite Clint Eastwood in "In the Line of Fire" | |
1994 | Elected to U.S. Senate (Tennessee), to fill the unexpired portion of the term left vacant by the resignation of Al Gore | |
1996 | Re-elected to U.S. Senate (Tennessee) | |
2002 | In March, announced he would not seek Senate re-election | |
2002 | Joined cast of long-running NBC series "Law & Order" as Arthur Branch; became first serving U.S. Senator to hold a full-time television acting job; asked to be released from the role in preparation for 2008 presidential bid | |
2003 | Made occasional appearances on spin-off series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC) | |
2004 | Introduced President George W. Bush at the Republican National Convention in New York | |
2005 | Reprised role of Arthur Branch on short-lived sister series "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" (NBC) | |
2006 | Cast in Albert Brooks' "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World" | |
2006 | Signed on with ABC News Radio to serve as a host, commentator, and fill-in for Paul Harvey | |
2007 | Portrayed President Ulysses S. Grant in HBO movie "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" | |
2008 | Ran for 2008 Republican nomination for President of the United States; exited the race after finishing third in South Carolina Primary | |
2009 | Returned to series TV with guest appearance on "Life on Mars" (ABC) | |
2010 | Portrayed thoroughbred horse breeder Bull Hancock in Disney's "Secretariat" | |
2012 | Played the Sheriff opposite Ethan Hawke in found-footage thriller "Sinister" | |
Awards
2004 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Law & Order |