Fred Dalton Thompson was born on August 19, 1942 in Sheffield, Alabama. In addition to being an actor, he is also a politician, attorney and lobbyist. From 1994 to 2002, he represented Tennessee as a Republican in the U.S. Senate. He attended public school in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, and graduated from Lawrence County High School. He then entered Florence State College, now the University of North Alabama, and later transferred to Memphis State University, earning a double degree in philosophy and political science.
Fred Dalton Thompson first appeared on screen in the film Marie in 1985, portraying himself in the fact-based story of a high-profile case he handled in Tennessee. Since then, he has appeared in numerous movies and television programs. In 1987, director Roger Donaldson cast him as a CIA director in the film No Way Out. He soon found himself portraying a fictional U.S. president on Last Best Chance, and was cast as two historical presidents as well. He was given the role of Ulysses S. Grant in 2007’s Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and voiced Andrew Jackson in the TV production Rachel and Andrew Jackson: A Love Story. Thompson was also featured in movies like In the Line of Fire, Die Hard II, and The Hunt for Red October. Earlier in his acting career, he was given roles in Curly Sue, Bed of Lies, and Baby’s Day Out. He has worked on television series like China Beach, Wiseguy and Meatlock, as well as a guest role in Sex and the City. In 2002, Thompson joined the cast of the NBC series Law & Order, playing the character District Attorney Arthur Branch. He also had this role on shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and also on the pilot episode of Conviction.