Line Of Duty star Adrian Dunbar has said he finds it “ridiculous” that people call him a sex symbol after playing the role of Superintendent Ted Hastings on the hit show.
And the 63-year-old Northern Irish star is calling for the hit BBC series to return one more time while his co-stars Martin Compston and Vicky McClure are also keen on a return.
But he said writer Jed Mercurio is the one who will ultimately decide.
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When asked about another series of the hit show Adrian said: "It's not that I would just want to do another series of Line of Duty. I think we need to do another series. We need to go back just one more time."
Many fans were disappointed with the big reveal in the climactic episode of the final series that pulled in more than 15 million viewers in May last year. But that is not the reason Adrian would like to get AC-12, the Anti-Corruption Unit, back together.
He explains: "Everyone in that crew has become a family, and filming has already been incredibly tough but an absolute joy.
"All three of us [Compston and McClure] would like to go again. But we're just the actors. The only man who can make this happen is Jed. We'll have to wait and see."
The teasing revelation comes in an interview in this month's Saga magazine, where Adrian talks about becoming a sex symbol in his 50s.
As for suddenly being billed a sex symbol from the police drama, the actor said: "I don't know about that. I'm a grandad with three grandchildren, for God's sake.
"It's all a bit ridiculous. My wife thinks it's very funny."
Adrian's character has a string of catchphrases like "Now we're sucking diesel", which means things are making progress, and "I didn't just float up the Lagan", referring to him not being naive.
Helping cement Hastings in the nation's affections, he revealed many of the sayings were inspired by his late father Sean, who died when Adrian was 21 and working in England. He paid tribute to him by weaving some of his most memorable sayings into the script.
Supt Hastings' most famous phrase became "Jesus, Mary and Joseph".
But when in the penultimate episode he became exasperated by a suspect's endless "no comment" replies, he went that bit further.
"I added 'and the wee donkey' once the cameras started rolling. Everyone was silent for a moment but it stayed in.
"If I'm walking down the road the chances are someone will shout at me, 'How's the wee donkey?'"
He also opened up about ditching the booze for many years as he felt alcohol made him lose his focus.
"I was never an alcoholic but the drinking was not in control," admits the star who gave up when he was 39. "I thought to be an actor you had to go out, be seen, go drinking with people. I didn't have focus. Drinking really was stopping me focus, so I just stopped."
But after 14 years teetotal it was during a family holiday to Austria when a waiter offered him a glass of prosecco that he decided to raise a toast to his wife Anna Nygh, actress daughter Madeleine and mother Pauline, who were dining with him.
"I was with the three women in my life who mean the most to me and I said 'I'm going to drink this prosecco' because I wanted to celebrate that day," he said.
"I knew I was past drinking being a problem and I knew it would be fine.
"I will have a drink every now and again but there's no hold over me. I can take it or leave it,” he added.
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