Andrew Scott says priests should be allowed to marry following Hot Priest role

“I really feel these dwindling numbers, we could do something about it if they could get married."

Andrew Scott has said that he thinks priests should be allowed to marry. The Dublin-born actor recently starred in Phoebe Waller-Bridge's critically acclaimed comedy series Fleabag, He played the Hot Priest who has a crisis of faith when he finds himself developing feelings for Fleabag. Scott told Stephen Colbert on The Late Show that he welcomed the Pope's recent consideration around the prospect of priests being permitted to marry. “I really feel these dwindling numbers, we could do something about it if they could get married," he said. “This mindfulness and spirituality is something my generation are really into because there’s a gap in the market because people feel let down. The whole priest thing has been incredible.” Scott added that when the show's second series was being written, he and Waller-Bridge wanted to feature a Catholic priest who was a "good person." “I was brought up Catholic so when we first started talking we wanted a good man who has a genuine dilemma between his love for this woman and his love of the church. “That’s a real dilemma for a lot of people. We wanted it to not just be a gimmicky love story. The fact that the world has embraced it is genuinely cool." Fleabag came to its natural conclusion at the end of season two. Waller-Bridge stated previously that she had only planned on writing two series of the show. She recently cleaned up at the Emmys, securing awards for best comedy series, best lead actress in a comedy series, and best script. Prior to this, Scott was best known for his role in BBC's Sherlock as the abominable Moriarty. He has also starred in multiple theatre productions in the UK and Ireland.