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

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

remind me not to watch

[LMKay66]

Hey, where's our Keith? He on vacation or something? Haven't seen him all week.

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

(sigh) wish he was with me.....he'll be back monday!

[heather65]

he's a wooden actor. his style is the same in every role.
he was the only disappointment in "Baby's Day Out".
everyone else in that movie was great.

[jhoughton1]

Did he ever stop?

[jackofhearts]

Miscast as a DA on Law and Order.
Miscast as a U.S. Senator.
Miscast as presidential candidate.
Miscast as an orator at the RNC.
However, watching him act or listening to him speak is a great cure for insomnia.

[CeeLee]

Who Cares?
All those Republicreeps who THOUGHT that this southern boob was ACTUALLY QUALIFIED to be considered a presidential candidate.

It will be satisfying to at LAST have a Commander in Chief , cabinet and staff with true intellectual capabilites instead of the 'good ol boys who barbeque' who have run our nation into the ground.

[NicasioKid]

Good move, Fred!

[procrustes]

As President Reagen acted the role of President, so has Fred acted the role of Senator. He's not returning to acting, he never left. He's just changing characters.

[Vladdycat]

He will be re-enacting his presidential stump speeches for SleepPhones.

[davedave]

actually he is front man to the new venture, "The Paint Channel". a new cable venture from Fox.

every week they have a five hour documentary on watching a wall of paint dry... said to be the perfect outlet to his folksy and acerbic style.

they premier next week with brown. can you hardly wait?

d

[PennLawyer]

dave dave, you are droll droll!

[Stilts9]

What's he gonna play, that dancing hill-billy in Deliverance?

[Hemkit]

I will NEVER, EVER watch ANYTHING this man is in.

[Billar]

I have allways thought of Fred as just a grade C actor below Regan. Fred joins the list of bad actors headed by Stephen Baldwin and Chuck Norris.

[dukesman]

Go back to acting? He was acting as a politician

[Roxanna]

Well it is good to see Fred going back to what he has been doing all along......ACTING

[DRaymond]

I always thought that the Plan B of Thompson's presidential run (more like a brisk walk) was to keep an aging actor moved from the B list to the A list rather than falling to the C list.