Fred Thompson

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson, a folksy Tennessee lawyer whose career led him from politics to Hollywood and back again, died Sunday at 73.

At 6-foot-6 with a booming voice, Thompson appeared in at least 20 motion pictures and in the TV series “Law & Order.” His film credits include “In the Line of Fire,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Die Hard II” and “Cape Fear.” By the early ’90s, Thompson said he had become bored with his 10-year stint in Hollywood and wanted to enter public service. He then headed back to Nashville and launched his Senate campaign.

A man of varied roles on and off the screen, he was a lawyer by training and once served as a committee counsel during the Senate Watergate hearings.

The family statement said Thompson died in Nashville following a recurrence of lymphoma.

Thompson alternated between politics and acting much of his adult life. Once regarded as a rising star in the Senate, he retired from that seat when his term expired in January 2003.

“I simply do not have the heart for another six-year term,” Thompson said then. “Serving in the Senate has been a tremendous honor, but I feel that I have other priorities.”