Fred Thompson, best known as a former U.S. senator from Tennessee and an actor known for roles on Law & Order and Die Hard 2, died on Sunday from a recurrence of lymphoma, according to his family. He was 73 years old.
Sad news from Tennessee: Fred Thompson died today in Nashville. A recurrence of lymphoma, per a statement. Quite a life.— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) November 1, 2015
A statement released by the Thompson family read, in part, "It is with a heavy heart and a deep sense of grief that we share the passing of our brother, husband, father, and grandfather who died peacefully in Nashville surrounded by his family."
Thompson, who ran for prez in '08, passed away after recurrence of lymphoma, family statement says— Alex Isenstadt (@politicoalex) November 1, 2015
While most know Thompson primarily for his television role on the popular procedural Law & Order and his 2008 run for president (GOP), Thompson also had a storied political career. His first political moment was in 1973 as an attorney on the Senate Watergate committee investigating then-President Richard M. Nixon's role in Watergate. He is sometimes credited for the infamous question posed during those hearings, "What did the president know and when did he know it?"
In 1994, Thompson was elected as U.S. senator from Tennessee, fulfilling the rest of Al Gore's term following his ascension to Vice President. In 1996, he won re-election. He chose not to run for re-election in 2002.
He launched his run for president in September 2007, announcing his candidacy on The Tonight Show, but dropped out by the end of January 2008 after his campaign failed to gain traction.
Thompson worked closely with fellow U.S. Senator John McCain, backing McCain in his 2000 run for president and then delivered an passionate speech in support of McCain at the 2008 GOP convention backing the GOP presidential candidate.
Deeply saddened by the passing of Fred Thompson, a dear friend & great senator. My thoughts & prayers are with his wife Jeri & family. RIP.— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) November 1, 2015
Thompson also had a successful career in Hollywood. Besides the aforementioned roles in Law & Order and Die Hard 2, he also appeared in feature films like In The Line Of Fire and The Hunt For Red October. He also appeared in several television shows including Wiseguy and appeared on a few episodes of The Good Wife.
He was also a reverse mortgage pitchman.
Thompson is survived by his wife Jeri and their two children and by two children he had with his first wife, Fred, Jr. and Daniel (a daughter, Elizabeth, died in 2002).