Fred Thompson Returning To Acting

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson is going back to the small screen after his foray into Republican presidential politics over the last year.

Thompson, best known on TV for his role as a gruff district attorney on NBC's "Law & Order," dropped out of the crowded GOP primaries in January after his much-anticipated presidential campaign failed to gain strong support among conservatives.

He campaigned heavily for eventual nominee John McCain, and had recently tried to gain support to be in charge of the Republican National Committee.

But his former finance chairman, B.C. "Scooter" Clippard, said Thompson told him Wednesday that he was returning to acting and dropping his RNC bid.

"He seriously considered it, but he called and said that it was not in the cards," Clippard said.

Clippard said he did not know which television programs might be interested in Thompson.

"He has some wonderful opportunities back in the television market that probably financially far outweigh being chair of the RNC," Clippard said.

Thompson, 66, was a lawyer and character actor before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1993, only to turn his back on politics after his first full term in favor of a full-time acting career in 2002.

Thompson began his acting career playing himself in the film "Marie" in 1985, about a high-profile legal case he handled in Tennessee.

And while his presidential ambitions didn't pan out, at least Thompson got to play the commander in chief as Ulysses S. Grant in the 2007 TV movie "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee."

Comments

[duze]

Isn't this the ( fake) celebrity who said we didn't need a celebrity (Obama) in politics. That's why were glad he left. Maybe they will welcome him back to his 3 line celebrity status on Law and Order. God knows he has nothing else to do.

[deschl]

........and he can't act either, jack of all trades master of none.

[glesslib]

I think the GOP is going to need someone with a lot more energy and some real ideas if they ever expect to get that party moving again. Thompson is a guy who seems to like to coast through life and that's not going to fix what's the matter with the Republicans. They're going to need someone who can help them to get over their addiction to "divide and conquer" politics. Americans are bored with all the negative stuff. I don't know if the GOP can shake the habit, but Fred wouldn't be the one to shake them up.

[SonnyBono]

"Returning to acting" - now that's a good one - this right wing tool was always acting. When he first ran for political office, he bought a pick-up truck so the folks in Tennessee could see him a regular folks just like Rove got W to buy that former pig farm in Crawford so he could call it a "ranch" and pretend he was Ronald Reagan.

When the base of the Republican party sees through your act and doesn't buy it - then maybe its time to find another line of work, Freddie. Why don't you call up the guys at Fox News and see if they are hiring?

[Bosoxfan]

...then what was that you were doing during the campaign? I thought you were bad in Red October , but man, you really outdid yourself last summer.

[tashmoo2]

Good luck going back to work with the actor's strike pending. You want to do something of value Senator? Find a solution to the actor/producer problem, then we can all go back to work, including you.

[scottowego]

Sounds like this guy just likes to go to wherever he can get the most notoriety. If one thing doesn't work out he goes backward to someplace he feels is safe. Thank God he didn't get into the Whitehouse! Like television.... he's only good at being a distraction from the issues at hand.

[ECB]

What a Tool

[Housewife]

He can't act either.

[ChicagoDMT]

A man who wanted to be president of the United States would rather return to acting than devote himself to the problems facing his country.

Wow. Did we dodge a bullet.

[abbeyroad]

i heard warner bros. was doing a movie called "chicken hawk", and they begged him to star as foghorn leghorn.

[HoraceOvidson]

Return to Acting? Wasn't he acting as a politician?

[RobtBrock]

Who is a worse actor: Thompson or Ahhhhnold?

[MadJeffersonian]

What? You mean he left acting?

[imsosure]

In other words he's going to continue acting but not in the government, that's good, real good.