Thompson Eyes Return to Acting
For Fred Thompson, playing a commander in chief is a lot easier than actually being one.
The erstwhile Law & Order prosecutor turned failed Republican presidential candidate is apparently plotting a return to acting, and has signed with Tinseltown's William Morris Agency to acquire future film and television roles on his behalf.
Just six months ago, Thompson was the darling of conservatives, who were eager to see the folksy ex-senator from Tennessee with the gruff voice and sharp tongue unify their party the way another former actor-turned-politico, Ronald Reagan, led Republicans to victory more than a quarter of a century ago.
But despite rallying the base by getting into an online video tête à tête with Michael Moore over Sicko, the latter's documentary on America's ailing health care system, Thompson's late start combined with a reputation for laziness on the campaign trail doomed his candidacy from the start. He subsequently dropped out of the race on Jan. 22.
Before Republican activists corralled him to run for their party's nomination, the thesp had played District Attorney Arthur Branch on NBC's long-running series for five seasons, beginning in 2002.
Prior to that, Thompson made a name for himself on the big screen, essaying an assortment of high-level government and military types: from a CIA director in 1987's No Way Out and rear admiral in 1990's The Hunt For Red October to White House chief of staff in 1993's In the Line of Fire and an FBI agent in 1994's Baby's Day Out.
Other notable film credits include Fat Man and Little Boy, Die Hard 2: Die Harder, Curly Sue, Cape Fear, Thunderheart and Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, as well as guest appearances on such TV shows as Wiseguy, China Beach, Roseanne, Matlock and Sex and the City.
Before embarking on a career in show business, Thompson was a former prosecutor who worked on the Watergate committee in the mid-'70s. He also served for 17 years as a lobbyist before being elected senator.
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