Fred Thompson Passed Away!

Fred Thompson and his wife, author Jeri.

Fred Thompson was a senator, presidential candidate, talk radio host and actor. He gained critical acclaim as being the hardliner Manhattan District Attorney Arthur Branch on Law & Order.

The former Tennessee senator and 2008 Republican presidential candidate passed away today confirms his family. He passed away in his hometown of Nashville, TN today.

CNN reports that Thompson had cancer.

Thompson died after a recurrence of lymphoma, his family said in a statement Sunday. He was first diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma more than a decade ago.

"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," the statement read.

Thompson, a Republican, won a special election in 1994 to fill Al Gore's vacate U.S. Senate seat. He was re-elected for a full term two years later and announced in 2002 that he would not run again.

As an actor, Thompson appeared in the films "The Hunt for Red October," "Die Hard 2" and "In the Line of Fire," among others.

"Fred stood on principle and common sense, and had a deep love for and connection with the people across Tennessee whom he had the privilege to serve in the United States Senate. He enjoyed a hearty laugh, a strong handshake, a good cigar, and a healthy dose of humility," his family said.

"Fred was the same man on the floor of the Senate, the movie studio, or the town square of Lawrenceburg, his home."

World News Today send our condolences to the family of Fred Thompson.