NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson is going back to the small screen after his foray into Republican presidential politics over the last year.

Thompson, best known on TV for his role as a gruff district attorney on NBC’s “Law & Order,” dropped out of the crowded GOP primaries in January after his much-anticipated presidential campaign failed to gain strong support among conservatives.

He campaigned heavily for eventual nominee John McCain, and had recently tried to gain support to be in charge of the Republican National Committee.

But his former finance chairman, B.C. “Scooter” Clippard, said Thompson told him Wednesday that he was returning to acting and dropping his RNC bid.

“He seriously considered it, but he called and said that it was not in the cards,” Clippard said.

Clippard said he did not know which television programs might be interested in Thompson.

“He has some wonderful opportunities back in the television market that probably financially far outweigh being chair of the RNC,” Clippard said.

Thompson, 66, was a lawyer and character actor before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1993, only to turn his back on politics after his first full term in favor of a full-time acting career in 2002.

Thompson began his acting career playing himself in the film “Marie” in 1985, about a high-profile legal case he handled in Tennessee.

And while his presidential ambitions didn’t pan out, at least Thompson got to play the commander in chief as Ulysses S. Grant in the 2007 TV movie “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.”

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – This evening former Senator Fred Thompson will address the 2008 Republican National Convention. Senator Thompson will expand on the convention’s overall theme, “Country First,” and the theme for today’s program, which is “service,” as he illustrates why John McCain is best qualified to be the next President of the United States

Here are some excerpts from his speech:

On John McCain’s qualifications to be president:
“This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders. Strength. Courage. Humility. Wisdom. Duty. Honor. It’s pretty clear there are two questions we will never have to ask ourselves, ‘Who is this man?’ and ‘Can we trust this man with the presidency?’”

On John McCain’s dedication to doing what is right – not what is popular:
“He has been to Iraq eight times since 2003. He went seeking truth, not publicity. When he travels abroad, he prefers quietly speaking to the troops amidst the heat and hardship of their daily lives. And the same character that marked John McCain’s military career has also marked his political career. This man, John McCain, is not intimidated by what the polls say or by what is politically safe or popular.”

On John McCain’s commitment to taking real action to reform Washington:
“But while others were talking reform, John McCain led the effort to make reform happen – always pressing, always moving for what he believed was right and necessary to restore the people’s faith in their government. Confronting when necessary, reaching across the aisle when possible, John personified why we came to Washington in the first place.”

On John McCain’s ability to restore integrity to our government:
“My role is to help remind you of the man behind the vision. Because tonight our country is calling to all of us to step up, stand up, and put ‘Country First’ with John McCain. Tonight we are being called upon to do what is right for our country.”