Shaun Evans says \'Endeavour\' should end next year.
The 39-year-old actor - who has played TV detective Inspector Morse on the prequel series since 2012 - thinks his run as the character should be over before the timeline clashes with John Thaw\'s iconic stint, which started in 1987.
Speaking to Radio Times, he said: "This is our story and we shouldn\'t be staying at the party too long.
"It\'s difficult because it\'s like planning your own funeral. Why would I not want to be earning this money?
"Why would I not want to be hanging out with these people who I love? But you have to be strict. We shouldn\'t be milking it."
John Thaw - who sadly passed away aged 60 in 2002 - originally played Morse in the late 1980s and continued on the ITV drama until 2000.
Shawn admitted his final decision - which comes ahead of the new series, set in 1970 - will have to be made after talking to the rest of the cast and crew.
He added: "It\'s something I want us to come to an agreement on as a team, because my decision will have a knock-on effect for everyone.
"I want to make sure that everybody feels, within reason, that we\'ve finished it in a satisfying way."
Writer Russell Lewis revealed he\'s already planned out the final storylines for the show, and he agrees with Shawn\'s thinking.
He said: "I\'ll do it for as long as they want me to, but I do know how it ends.
"We wouldn\'t want to get to the point where you can see the join. I think we\'ll bow out long before that."
