The popular actor, grew up in a strongly unionist area of Antrim, and explained how he began to recognise his Irishness after moving to London at the age of 19 to study acting.

A holder of both Irish and British passports, Mr Nesbitt said he now describes himself as “an Irishman, from the North of Ireland who in no way refutes nor shies away from my Protestant culture”.

His new project ‘Connected Citizens’ aims to start an inclusive, non-sectarian conversation about the future of the Six Counties.

The project has attracted the support of prominent civic (non-party) unionists, including Methodist minister Harold Good and University Professor Jim Dornan. The actor said he envisaged that research would begin soon with an aim of launching a report later this year.

Mr Nesbitt called for civic society rather than politicians to help decide the North’s future direction, and said a border poll “is going to happen at some point”. He said there is a need to move away from terms like ‘united Ireland’, instead saying “a new union of Ireland” could appeal to Protestants.

“People from the North, of my tradition, would feel that they have their identity, that it is in no way threatened, that they have an equal voice, that they are part of a society that is progressive, inclusive, diverse,” he said.

“That they have prosperity, that they’re not marginalised, and that they can be proud to be from the north of Ireland in a new union of Ireland", he added.

Asked if he believed there was a place for him in a ‘new union of Ireland’, Mr Nesbitt said: “I suppose I’m still not entirely sure because we haven’t been given the facts about what these new structures would look like."

Nesbitt added: “I’m certainly very keen on embracing anything in which the relationship between the people in the north is improved, and between north and south and between the two islands, and it strikes me that I think a lot more people are coming round to the idea of just even considering themselves Irish.”

The actor called for an alternative to the Stormont political party system. “It just feels that there’s been a silent majority here for far too long that actually needs a voice.”

The new project comes amid continuing discussion of the impact of Brexit on the potential for a a Six County referendum on reunification.