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Aidan Gillen looked just the part as he completed his first day of filming as Charles Haughey.

The former Love/Hate star will play the role of the ex-Taoiseach in a new drama Citizen Charlie.

The series will document the rise and fall of the former leader in three installments.

Gillen was joined on set by other actors who are playing the role of former ministers of the Haughey era.

His former colleague Tom Vaughan Lawlor will also star in the drama as Haughey’s press adviser, PJ Mara, but he was not on set on Wednesday.

It was just as well, as the production crew spelled his name wrong on his trailer calling him PJ O’Mara, before rubbing out the ‘O’.

Laurence Kinlan, who played Elmo in Love/Hate, will also feature in the drama.

(Image: John Dardis)

It has been described as a “charting the emergence of modern Ireland through the mesmeric figure of Charles J Haughey and his pursuit of power, wealth and glamour”.

The project was awarded BAI funding for €1 million of its €3.7 million budget.

The series is directed by Kenny Glenaan and Charlie McCarthy, with other cast members including Risteard Cooper, from Après Match and Peter O’Meara from Band of Brothers.

Dublin playwright Colin Teevan, whose previous writing credits include episodes of ‘Silk’, ‘Single-Handed’ and ‘Vera’, scripted all three 90 minute installments.

Head of RTE drama, Jane Gogan, said: “We have a fantastic cast lined up to tell a story about one of the most intriguing characters in Irish political life.”