Killian Scott has told how shooting Dublin Murders' most intense scenes left him looking like he "came out of a warzone".
The former Love/Hate star told how he was left drained after filming some of his character Detective Rob Reilly's most difficult moments.
He revealed: "I had friends who came to Belfast one weekend while I was filming, I went to meet them for dinner and we were to enjoy the weekend.
“I arrived and I looked like I had come out of a warzone. We had just shot two separate scenes in which I was having a complete mental breakdown."
However, he also told how other scenes left him feeling delighted and satisfied with his craft.
Speaking on live interview show Build Series in the US, Killian, 34, said: "There’s also days where you’re euphorically happy in a way that you can’t find anywhere else which I think is why we do it in the first place.”
Dublin Murders has been a huge hit with Irish and English audiences and it's set to air on US network Starz next week.
And Killian told how landing the lead role was a huge thrill for him.
He said: “It was an extraordinary creative experience.
“I remember when I was doing amateur theatre and I got a part in a little movie that no one ever saw. That blew my mind.
“So I try to stay in touch with that dude as much as possible that I’ve gotten to do this. This role and the complexity, me and Sarah really enjoyed that you’re kind of leading a company.
“That has other responsibilities — that’s something I learned from actors like Aidan Gillen, Brendan Gleeson, Michael Fassbender and Iain Glen, wonderful actors I’ve gotten to work with."
But he added certain responsibilities came with a leading role.
The Dubliner said:“When people are coming in and you’ve spent five months in a forest in Belfast and it’s Ireland and it’s cold, people might come in for their first day, but you want to have the same enthusiasm and make people feel comfortable.
“We both enjoyed that process and especially the fact that we got to do it together.”
