nbc.com

Fred Thompson, former United States Senator, prosecutor and accomplished film and television actor, returns to the cast of the Emmy Award-winning drama series “Law & Order” for his third season as District Attorney Arthur Branch.

Having grown up in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, Thompson attended Memphis State University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science. He went on to receive a law degree from Vanderbilt University. Two years later, Thompson was named an Assistant United States Attorney and later served as Minority Counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee. His experience with the Watergate scandal is detailed in his memoir, At That Point in Time. In 1994 Thompson was elected to the United States Senate. He was re-elected for a second term in 1996.

Thompson is also a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank.

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, including the features “In the Line of Fire,” “Die Hard II,” and “The Hunt for Red October,” and the series “China Beach,” “Wiseguy,” and “Matlock.”

Thompson will also be starring as District Attorney Arthur Branch on the new series, “Law & Order: Trial by Jury.”

Thompson lives in Nashville, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. with his wife Jeri. He has two sons, one daughter, and five grandchildren. His birthday is August 19.