Former Senator and Actor Fred Thompson Passes Away at 73

Actor and politician Fred Thompson passed away yesterday at age 73. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma more than a decade ago and it had recently returned.

His family released the following statement:

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.

Most people know Thompson for his acting career. He played D.A. Arthur Branch on NBC's "Law & Order" form 2002 to 2007.

His notable movie roles included "No Way Out", "The Hunt for Red October", "Die Hard 2", "Curly Sue", "Cape Fear", "Secretariat", and "Sinister".

Fred also served as a Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee for eight years, from 1994 to 2003. He also launched a brief presidential campaign in 2007.