On Sunday night, a made-for-TV movie about the late Jack Layton will air on the CBC.

The film “Jack” stars Rick Roberts as the NDP leader during the 2011 “Orange Crush”, a time of transition in Canadian politics.

While Rick Roberts has played numerous roles on the small screen, he says this was a uniquely challenging one.

“Never someone so public, who is so vivid in everyone’s minds,” Roberts said.

Among other things, the movie explores the development and progress of what was referred to as the “Orange Crush”, when Jack Layton and the NDP made significant strides on the Canadian political scene.

It is also a love story with a sad, but hopeful, ending.

“But yet it was beautiful how they lived through it together, you kind of get to experience it in your own way, live through it,” Roberts said.

Roberts said Layton’s wife, Olivia Chow, who is featured through much of the film, was there for part of the filming.

“It was terrifying, because you know we’re playing her life in the most harrowing and thrilling part of her life,” Roberts said.

The film airs Sunday night at 8 p.m. on CBC.