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Fred Thompson Eyes Return to Acting

Reuters

Posted: 2008-03-24 15:14:39

Filed Under: Movie News, TV News

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (March 24) - Former Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson is returning to his career as an actor and signed a deal to be represented by the William Morris Agency, the talent group said Monday.

Thompson, a former U.S. senator from Tennessee, is best known in the entertainment world for portraying New York District Attorney Arthur Branch on the television crime drama "Law & Order," but has appeared in numerous films and TV shows over the years.

The 65-year-old actor and politician was a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. president before dropping out of the race in January after garnering little support. Arizona Senator John McCain is the presumptive Republican nominee.

Thompson gained notoriety as minority counsel for the Senate Watergate Committee investigating the scandal that led to the resignation of U.S. President Richard Nixon in 1974.

His first movie role was in 1985's "Marie." Thompson has since appeared in many films, including "Die Hard 2" and "In the Line of Fire," frequently as politicians or other authority figures. In 2007 television movie "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," for instance, he portrayed President Ulysses S. Grant.

Thompson won a seat in the U.S. Senate from Tennessee in 1994 and served until 2003. He began his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2007.

This Week in Pop Culture History 9.30

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Copyright 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2008-03-24 12:16:41

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MDenson 12:15:47 PM Mar 26 2008

Report This!

TRUWRITER: DID YOU NOT KNOW THAT THE SCRIPS ARE WRITTEN THE WAY THEY ARE PLAYED? THE PLAYERS HAVE NO SAY AS TO HOW A SCENE GOES, THEY ARE DIRECTED TO DO THESE THINGS. MCCOY IS DOING WHAT THE DIRECTOR TELLS HIM. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T WATCH IT. AS FOR ME, I WANT NO MORE OF FRED THOMPSON!

TRUWRITER 11:43:24 AM Mar 26 2008

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Story says Thompson is ditching politics to return to the movies, me thinks the American people ditched Fred as a politician not the other way around. Liked him in Law and Order and liked him years ago when he was an elected official but now he is just a celeb trying to convert celebrity to a political following and it didn't work. I am way tired of Sam Waterson's holier than thou phony heroics and angst. He and Alan Alda should marry and raise guppies together.