Fred Thompson, US Senator And Star Of Hunt For Red October, Dies At 73
Fred Thompson, the actor, Republican senator and star of movies like ‘The Hunt For Red October’, has died at the age of 73.
His family confirmed that he died at his home in Nashville after suffering from a recurrence of lymphoma.
A lawyer by training, Thompson had long split his time between politics and acting, and ran for the Republican presidential ticket in 2008.
He also served in the US senate, representing the state of Tennessee from 1994 to 2003, and in the 70s assisted Republican senators in the Watergate investigation which brought down President Richard Nixon.
But he was also well-known for his acting, first hitting the screen in 1987, when he was cast as the director of the CIA in the Kevin Costner/Gene Hackman thriller 'No Way Out’.
He went on to take roles in 'Die Hard 2’, 'The Hunt For Red October’, 'In The Line Of Fire’, 'Cape Fear’ and Tom Cruise NASCAR movie 'Days Of Thunder’.
But he was also known for his extensive TV work, playing District Attorney Arthur Branch in 'Law & Order’ from 2002 to 2007.
He then went on to appear in the show’s spin-offs like 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ and 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent’, as well as the US remake of 'Life On Mars’.
Image credits: AP/Rex Features
