Republicans Lose A Candidate

Thompson, 65, is an American politician, lawyer, lobbyist and character actor. He represented Tennessee as a Republican in the U.S. Senate from 1994 through 2002 and was a candidate for the 2008 Republican nomination for president of the United States, until withdrawing from the race on January 22, 2008.

When Thompson, a seasoned actor, announced he would not return to the Senate in 2002, he remarked that life in Washington made him "long for the sincerity and realism of Hollywood."

Thompson began his acting career in 1985 in the film Marie. He then landed the part of a CIA Director in the 1987 film No Way Out. He has since appeared in numerous films and television shows. In 1994 New York Times profile wrote "When Hollywood directors need someone who can personify governmental power, they often turn to Thompson."

It appears that Thompson will not become a real life US President, but he will always have the presidential roles he has played. His his past performances include portraying a fictional president of the United States in Last Best Chance, Ulysses S. Grant in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007), and the voice of Andrew Jackson in Rachel and Andrew Jackson: A Love Story, both produced for TV.