Fred Thompson, Former Senator and 2008 Presidential Hopeful, Dies at 73

Former Tennessee senator and onetime presidential candidate Fred Thompson died of lymphoma on Sunday. He was 73.

As The New York Times reported after the announcement of his passing, Thompson’s political career included some unique chapters:

Mr. Thompson had an unusual career that bridged the worlds of national politics and mass-market entertainment. He served nine years in the Senate and ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.

He was also a regular cast member on the NBC drama “Law & Order,” where he parlayed his gravitas as a politician into a regular role as Arthur Branch, a Manhattan district attorney.

The Times’ obit also noted that Thompson served as an investigator in the Watergate case.

Here is Thompson’s final scene as Arthur Branch on the long-running NBC show (via YouTube):

–Posted by Kasia Anderson