Aidan Turner's Rivals character based on Athlone native dad

Athlone native Pearse Turner says his son, actor Aidan Turner, based his Disney+ Rivals character on him.

“He based the character off of me,” Pearse said. “It's not a real Athlone accent, but it definitely is a strong Midlands accent.”

The series premiered in Dublin's Savoy Cinema on Friday, October 11 – and Pearse was there beaming with pride to support his son.

“We watched two parts in the Savoy in Dublin– I think it's going to be very big,” said Pearse.

Speaking on RTE Radio 1, Aidan said his dad didn't know he was basing the character off him.

"I told him the other day. He didn't know until I told him right before I was doing press. He had a handlebar moustache all through the eighties, and the nineties. It wasn't just the 'tache.

"Like the way he moved, the way he walked. But primarily his accent. You know, Declan's from Wicklow, not from the Midlands, where my dad is [from]. But there's something like, quite earthy about my dad's accent, his sort of just flat tones with the Midlands that kind of quite strong.

“So, yeah, I stole a lot from him, it wasn't a big reach. But I bought him a pint when it was over. He was cool.”

The local actor stars in the series, based off of the Jilly Cooper's eighties novel from her best-selling Rutshire Chronicles, alongside Bella McClean, Victoria Smurfit, Danny Dyer and David Tenant to name a few.

Rivals is available to watch on Disneys+ from October 18.