Fred Thompson -- 'Law and Order' actor and former U.S. Senator -- dead at 73

Actor, politician and former Republican presidential candidate Sen. Fred Thompson has passed away at the age of 73.

The Tennessean newspaper reported Sunday that Thompson died after a recurrence of lymphoma.

"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," said a family statement.

"Fred once said that the experiences he had growing up in small-town Tennessee formed the prism through which he viewed the world and shaped the way he dealt with life. 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. Fred was the same man on the floor of the Senate, the movie studio, or the town square of Lawrenceburg, his home," the statement continued.

Thompson was one of the attorneys who guided former President Richard Nixon to his resignation in the wake of the Watergate scandal. He served as Tennessee's senator for eight years before becoming a potential candidate for U.S. president in 2008.