Fred Thompson has been an attorney, a senator and a presidential candidate and that's not even counting his work as an actor. But in the acting world, his political pull doesn't get as far as you'd think. "It's just one of those things, you miss out on more than you get," he said of acquiring roles. In recent history, he's been working on some indie projects, but has also gotten turned down for one of television's hottest shows. "Actually I was up for a part on 'Homeland,' " he told Yeas & Nays. "But I didn't get it."

Thompson will be discussing his career -- all shades of it -- next month in D.C. as the first installment of a new "Expert Witnesses" series being produced by the Shakespeare Theatre Company's legal group, the Bard Association. Thompson will take the stage on March 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lansburgh Theatre.

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Thompson was asked to take part in the inaugural event because his career spans both law and film. As for whether he favors one over the other, Thompson doesn't know. "It's hard to pick among your children, you know?" he noted. That being said, he was able to select his favorite movie role -- playing Admiral Painter in "The Hunt for Red October." "First of all I played an admiral, which, I've gotta say, is kind of in my wheelhouse. I have never been an admiral, but you know, most actors haven't," he explained. "Plus it was just a great movie and it was probably the last Cold War movie where the Soviet Union was the bad guy."

Tickets to see Thompson's talk next month cost $40 and are available through the Shakespeare Theatre Company's box office.