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U.S. NEWSMonday 2 November 2015
Former Sen. Fred Thompson, had
TV and film roles, dead at 73
In this Sept. 2, 2008, file photo, former Sen. Fred Thompson, R- LUCAS L. JOHNSON II ing voice, appeared in at ing that he would seek the
Tenn., gives thumbs up after speaking at the Republican Na- Associated Press least 20 motion pictures. Republican presidential
tional Convention in St. Paul, Minn. NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) His credits include “In the nomination. Dogged by
— Fred Thompson, a folksy Line of Fire,” ‘’The Hunt for accusations he was not a
Associated Press former Republican U.S. Red October,” ‘’Die Hard hard worker, he dropped
senator from Tennessee II” and “Cape Fear.” By the out in January 2008 after
who appeared in feature early 1990s, Thompson said faring poorly in the early
films and television includ- he had become bored caucuses and primaries.
ing a role on “Law & Or- with his 10-year stint in Hol- “I hope that my country
der,” died Sunday, his fam- lywood and wanted to go and my party have bene-
ily said. He was 73. into public service. That’s fited from our having made
Thompson, at 6-foot-6 when he headed back to this effort,” Thompson said.
(1.98-meters) with a boom- Nashville and launched his After leaving the race, he
Senate campaign. campaigned extensively
The family statement said for presidential nominee
Thompson died Sunday in John McCain, then sought
Nashville following a re- support to become chair-
currence of lymphoma. It man of the Republican
added he was surrounded National Committee but
by his family. “It is with a quit that quest after a
heavy heart and a deep few months. Thompson
sense of grief that we share took stock of his life after
the passing of our brother, the January 2002 death
father and grandfather of his daughter, Elizabeth
who died peacefully in Thompson Panici, 38, fol-
Nashville,” the statement lowing an accidental pre-
added. “Fred was the scription drug overdose.
same man on the floor of Thompson’s rise to the Sen-
the Senate, the movie stu- ate was atypical. He had
dio, or the town square of never before held public
... his home.” office, but he overwhelm-
Thompson, a lawyer, al- ingly won a 1994 special
ternated between politics election for Democrat Al
and acting much of his Gore’s old Senate seat af-
adult life. Once regarded ter connecting with vot-
as a rising star in the Sen- ers. In 1996 he easily won a
ate, he retired from that six-year term. Thompson’s
seat when his term expired key prop was a red pickup
in January 2003, saying he truck that he used to criss-
didn’t have the drive for cross the state throughout
another term. the campaign. In the end,
“I simply do not have the Thompson captured 60
heart for another six-year percent of the vote against
term,” Thompson said in a then-Democratic Rep. Jim
written statement at the Cooper. “He’s got a little
time. “Serving in the Senate pizzazz, he’s got a sense
has been a tremendous of purpose and he’s got
honor, but I feel that I have an independent streak,”
other priorities that I need Republican Lamar Alexan-
to attend to.” der said shortly after win-
However, he returned to ning election to succeed
politics in 2007 by announc- Thompson in the Senate.q
