Line of Duty star Martin Compston says filming the forthcoming series of the hit cop drama was the hardest job of his career.
The actor teamed up with Vicky McClure and Adrain Dunbar for what will be the seventh series of the BBC show, written by Jed Mercurio and filmed in Belfast.
He was joined by Trainspotting star Robert Carlyle for the new run which is currently being edited after filming wrapped earlier in the summer.
Compston said: “We got Bobby in, and some might have thought this might be a bit of a victory lap, and that we’d have a great time of it.
“But this was by far the hardest thing I have ever shot. It was a brutal, brutal shoot, in loads of different ways. A really tough shoot.”
He added: “It’s over to the editing gods now to see what they do with it. There are so many things that are beyond us as actors.”
Compston was speaking as his new travel series, Living Las Vegas, launched on Channel 4. The show, made by Scottish production company Tern TV, follows the Inverclyde actor as he tours around his part-time home in Nevada, where he lives with wife Tianna and their son.
The series gives a Scotsman-abroad view of Sin City, but Compston admits much of what he saw while filming as an eye opener for him.
Speaking from his Vegas home, he said: “I really enjoyed The Strip, but I am a hermit when I’m here. All my pals are back home in Greenock.
“With my job comes an active social life, screenings and what not. But the minute I get back here I don’t want to be out, I just keep myself to myself.
“So doing this programme has opened my eyes to another side of things. Now, by far my favourite part of the city is DTLV, the arts district, which I didn’t even know existed.
“It’s so cool, restaurants, bar, and arts scene. It feels more like Venice than California.”
He added:”This place really becomes an escape for me. It’s beautiful. But if I am more than six weeks in any place I start to get itchy feet. I’ve been on the move since I was 17, so it’s hard to settle anywhere.
“Wherever I am, I’m yearning for Greenock. But even once I’m there after a few weeks I feel like I need to move again, I need to do something.
“I never anticipated being here though. I know I’m very lucky.”
The actor shot to prominence over 20 years ago in bleak drug flick Sweet Sixteen, after being discovered by film maker Ken Loach at an open audition at St Columba’s High in Greenock. He’s now one of the country’s most popular actors.
As a youth, he was on the books at Greenock Morton, and recently returned to take part in a fundraiser at the club, who are in financial distress.
He said: “It’s still a fabulous club, such an important part of the town. I feel like there’s so much potential still.”
He’s also one of Cetic’s most prominent supporters, often found with fellow Stateside Hoops actor Tony Curran watching games in American Celtic supporters clubs.
How does he see things at Celtic Park this season, following the club’s dramatic title-wining end to the last league campaign under Martin O’Neill?
“What a high it would have been to go out on,” he said. “I think Martin deserved to do whatever he wanted at the end of last season. But you never know with Celtic.”