Many if not most Americans of a certain age remember where they were when the federal siege on the Branch Davidian compound ended with a spectacular fire. Also ingrained is the image of the religious sect’s bearded, bespectacled leader. Now we get our first look at Taylor Kitsch in character as David Koresh in the Weinstein Company/Paramount Network limited series Waco, and the resemblance is striking. (Hint: That’s Kitsch on the right below).

Rex/Shutterstock; Paramount Network

He stars as the sect leader whose followers were involved in a nearly two-month standoff with the FBI and ATF outside Waco, Texas, in 1993. It began with a shootout with federal agents — four of whom were killed, along with six Branch Davidians — and ended 51 days later after the feds stormed the compound and it burned to the ground with more than 75 men, women and children died inside. The six-part event series also stars Michael Shannon, Taylor Kitsch, John Leguizamo, Andrea Riseborough, Rory Culkin, Melissa Benoist, Paul Sparks, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim, and Julia Garner.

Waco is executive produced by Weinstein Television, written by John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle and directed by John Erick Dowdle. Paramount Network said today that it will launch on January 18 with a live edition of Lip Sync Battle.