Dr. Jim Swire, who lost his daughter Flora in Britain’s deadliest terror attack, has expressed delight at Colin Firth’s portrayal of him in a new Sky drama chronicling his decades-long search for truth about the Lockerbie bombing. The five-part series, “Lockerbie: A Search for Truth,” adapts Dr. Swire’s book “The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father’s Search for Justice,” co-written with Peter Biddulph. It details the aftermath of the 1988 Pan Am flight 103 explosion over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, which claimed 270 lives, including Flora Swire, who was traveling to America to spend Christmas with her boyfriend. A Personal Connection In preparation for the role, Firth visited Dr. Swire and his wife Jane at their Chipping Campden home in the Cotswolds. Dr. Swire was immediately impressed by the Oscar-winning actor’s approach: “He was extremely friendly… He’s a lovely guy, you’d never know he’s an actor. He’s an ordinary, open guy who’s prepared to talk.” The casting itself seemed almost predestined. “I had told people in the media before the casting was announced that it would be lovely if Firth could play me,” Dr. Swire revealed. “Lo and behold, they rang me up one day and said: ‘I’ve got news for you Jim, we’ve got Colin Firth, he’s going to play you.’ I felt a surge of relief when I heard that because I’d admired his acting in the past.” Beyond Acting Firth’s commitment to the role went deeper than expected, with Dr. Swire noting, “He became more involved than he ever dreamt that he would.” The former GP, who became the spokesperson for UK victims’ families, was even invited to observe the filming process from beside the director’s chair. The series chronicles Dr. Swire’s tireless campaign for justice, including his questioning of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi’s conviction and his ongoing calls for the UK government to release all information about the atrocity. Recently, he has urged Sir Keir Starmer to publish everything the government knows about the case, arguing there’s no longer justification for withholding information. Authentic Portrayal For Dr. Swire, Firth has been “a pillar of strength” throughout the project. Most importantly, he believes the series achieves its primary goal: “I believe it is an accurate representation and that is publicity beyond value.” “Lockerbie: A Search for Truth” premieres on Sky and NOW in the UK and Ireland on Thursday, bringing this powerful story of a father’s quest for justice to screens across the nation.