Ask American Profile

Fred Thompson, Diahann Carroll, Mark Lemke

I saw Fred Thompson on TV speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate, and that evening I saw him on Law & Order. He did well in both roles. How did he manage his schedule to do both before leaving the Senate?
—George M., New Mexico.

Law & Order worked around the senator’s schedule. Thompson, 60, told the show’s NBC producers that his portrayal of District Attorney Arthur Branch was contingent on the Senate schedule, Press Secretary Harvey Valentine says. He taped during the August recess and weekends in September. Thompson, who announced in March of 2002 that he was leaving the Senate for personal reasons, has other irons in the fire, too. He hopes to teach and will be the president of the Federal City Council, a nonprofit group dedicated to making Washington a better place to live. Thompson, who grew up in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., and lives in Nashville, began his acting career playing himself in Marie, a movie based on a cash-for-clemency scheme in Tennessee. He has appeared in 18 movies and was elected to the Senate in 1994. Thompson has two sons and five grandchildren. He married Jeri Kehn, a political and media consultant, in June 2002.

What is Diahann Carroll doing now? I thought I saw her on a commercial.
—Beth M., California

Carroll has done no commercials lately, but appeared recently on the UPN sitcom, Half & Half, as the grandmother of two half-sisters who were strangers until they became neighbors in a San Francisco apartment building. One more appearance is scheduled on the sitcom, but Carroll, 67, is in negotiations for a recurring role on the show. The New York native made television history in 1968 as the first black actress to star in her own series, NBC’s Julia. This month, she’s scheduled to be featured with Valerie Harper and others in a special on the Women’s Entertainment network about single women on television (Julia was a single mother). Carroll is a Tony award winner and was nominated for an Emmy, Academy Award, and Grammy. She is also working on the final details of her launch of a new skin care line. Her fashion line already sells on QVC and in specialized stores around the country. Her numerous acting credits include Dynasty, Lonesome Dove: The Series, and the movie Eve’s Bayou.

What is Mark Lemke, formerly of the Atlanta Braves, doing now?
—Robert and Rachel S., North Carolina

The 37-year-old former Brave, nicknamed Dirt for his scrappy playing style, left professional baseball in 1998 after a season with the Boston Red Sox. He returned to Atlanta, where his career began, and opened a business called Hardball Warehouse. The business instructs young athletes on the finer points of our national pastime. In addition to giving hitting lessons, he provides his expertise to the company’s newsletter and virtual university. Former Braves players Greg McMichael and Terry Pendleton also are involved in the business. Lemke also does baseball analysis on various radio programs and is well known in Atlanta for his charity work. The Utica, N.Y., native was a relatively unknown player for the Braves until 1991, when he replaced injured second baseman Jeff Treadway at the end of the season. His hitting and fielding helped the team make it to the World Series, and he became a fan favorite.

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