Tom Vaughan Lawlor has told how he felt liberated by not playing Nidge for once.
The Love/Hate star plays press secretary PJ Mara in Charlie – based on ex-Taoiseach Charlie Haughey – and found it “such a departure” to not be a gangster.
He said: “It’s wonderful to be able to play a part that is so different in terms of energy and tempo and physicality.
“It is a complete departure from Nidge and it is an amazing challenge. PJ was known for his dynamism and his charisma, and he’s famous for his taste in clothes so I got to wear cool suits.
Departure: Tom loved not being Nidge for once
“It’s amazing playing a non-fictional character because you have certain parameters in terms of how you sound and what you look like.
“Those were an amazing liberation especially when it was a character that is such a departure from a character you are very known for playing.
“PJ was famous for his charisma, so it was a great challenge for me to push myself in that direction.”
Wife: Tom and his wife Claire Cox at the IFTAs
And Tom said it was exciting to discover the truth about Charlie Haughey while researching the documentary.
“I was only very aware of Haughey towards the end of his time in power in the early 90s,” he told TV Now.
“But to go back and research that time in history from the early 70s to the late 80s was interesting because it was just a mindblowing time for Ireland.
“When I first got the script, I didn’t know how much of it was fact or fiction, and I was amazed to find out that it was all true.
“With the riches of that time, the riches of the personalities, the battles, the struggles, it’s ripe for drama, so I’m really excited about it.”
