Many Americans knew the late Fred Thompson as the U.S. Senator from Tennessee, but before winning Al Gore's vacated seat in 1994, he had a storied career as a movie and television actor.
After retiring from the Senate in 2002, he returned to the screen, taking up a full-time roll on "Law & Order."
Gathered below are five clips of Thompson's most notable and famous roles.
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1. "Marie: A True Story" — Thompson, a lawyer by trade, got his acting start when he landed a role in the 1985 film "Marie." In it, Sissy Spacek played the real-life Marie Ragghianti, while Thompson, who was Governor Ray Blanton's lawyer, played himself.
2. "The Hunt for Red October" — In 1990, Thompson portrayed Rear Admiral Joshua Painter in the high-impact spy thriller based on the Tom Clancy novel of the same name.
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3. "Die Hard 2" — Thompson played Ed Trudeau, Chief of Washington Dulles' airport operations, in the spectacular sequel to Bruce Willis' famous movie.
4. "Alleged" — Thompson portrayed U.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan in the 2010 movie about the 1925 Scopes Trial.
5. "Law & Order"—As a former lawyer, Thompson was a shoo-in for the role of D.A. Arthur Branch on the megahit TV series from 2002-2007, before running for president in 2008.
Super reel — Thompson was featured in more than 20 movies and more than a dozen TV series over the years, and his campaign staff put together a greatest hits reel just a few years ago to showcase his talents.
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