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Fred Dalton Thompson (born August 19 , 1942 ) is an American Lawyer , Actor and former Republican Senator from Tennessee . In addition to acting, he is currently a visiting fellow for the American Enterprise Institute , researching National Security and intelligence ( China , North Korea , and Russia .) BACKGROUND Born in Sheffield, Alabama , Thompson grew up attending the Public School s in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee . He attended Memphis State University where he earned an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Political Science in 1964 . He received a J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1967 . He was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 1967 and commenced the practice of law, serving as an assistant U.S. Attorney from 1969 - 1972 . He was the campaign manager for Senator Howard Baker 's successful re-election campaign in 1972, which led to a close personal friendship with Baker, and from 1973 - 1974 , he served as co-chief counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee in its investigation of the Watergate Scandal . He was responsible for Baker's asking one of the questions that is said to have led directly to the downfall of President Richard Nixon – "What did the President know, and when did he know it?" in '' Law & Order '']] In 1977 , Thompson took on a Tennessee Parole Board case that ultimately toppled Tennessee Governor Ray Blanton from power on charges of selling pardons. The scandal became the subject of a book and a Movie titled ''Marie'' ( 1985 ) in which Thompson played himself, supposedly because the producers were unable to find a professional actor who could play him plausibly. This film launched his acting career. Thompson would go on to appear in numerous motion pictures, including '' The Hunt For Red October '' ( 1990 ), '' Cape Fear '' ( 1991 ) and '' In The Line Of Fire '' ( 1993 ). Even more than most actors, Thompson's roles are generally portrayals of characters who are very similar to his real life persona. On ) and January 20 , 2001 to June 6 , 2001 , when the reorganization of the Senate prompted by the resignation of James Jeffords of Vermont from the Republican Party changed the control of the Senate. Thompson then became the ranking minority member. After the Senate Thompson was not a candidate for re-election in '' and appeared in the pilot episode of Conviction . He is one of very few actors who played the same regular character on two different series simultaneously. Thompson did voiceover work at the 2004 Republican National Convention . After the retirement of Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in 2005, he was given an informal position by President George W. Bush to help guide the nominated John Roberts to the confirmation through the United States Senate . In 2006, Thompson signed on with ABC News Radio , where he'll serve as a host, commentator, and fill in for Paul Harvey . {Link without Title} There has been speculation that Thompson will run for Governor of Tennessee in 2006 , but as of yet he has not announced his intentions either way. Current Democratic Governor Phil Bredesen is said to fear a Thompson run more than that of any other potential Republican, because Thompson is considered "beloved" in his home state. Thompson stands 6'6" tall and married Jeri Kehn, a 35 year-old political media consultant at the Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, and McPherson law firm in Washington, D.C., who once worked for the Senate Republican Conference and the Republican National Committee on June 29 , 2002 . In October 2003 , they had a daughter, Hayden Victoria Thompson. He also has two sons and five grandchildren from prior marriages/relationships. FILMOGRAPHY
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