As a character actor, Fred Thompson's born-to-command qualities have been well noted by Hollywood.
Lanky and with a deep southern drawl, Mr Thompson has played a naval commander (The Hunt for Red October), a CIA director (No Way Out) and a White House chief of staff (In the Line of Fire). Most recently, he brought judicial heft to the role of an attorney-general in Law and Order.
Now he has his eyes on the White House again, but this time it is his biggest part yet - the real life presidential election next year
Mr Thompson, a veteran Republican, confirmed his long-rumoured candidacy this week. And while he is considered an outsider to win the Republican nomination against former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, the 65-year-old is being described as a compelling candidate. His, after all, has been a quintessential American career.
Hollywood first marked him out when he appeared as a young Republican lawyer in the televised congressional investigations into the Watergate scandal that toppled Richard Nixon. Mr Thompson used his acting as a springboard to head to Washington, winning two terms as a senator representing Tennessee.
After nearly 10 years, he bowed out in 2002, saying his heart was no longer in it. This week he was back. 'I'm running for president of the United States,' he declared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. 'I decided it was time to step up.'
