 McKellen has appeared in limited release films , such as Emile ( which was shot in three weeks following the X2 shoot ) , Neverwas and Asylum . He appeared as Sir Leigh Teabing in The Da Vinci Code . During a 17 May 2006 interview on The Today Show with the Da Vinci Code cast and director , Matt Lauer posed a question to the group about how they would have felt if the film had borne a prominent disclaimer that it is a work of fiction , as some religious groups wanted . McKellen responded , " I 've often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying ' This is fiction . ' I mean , walking on water ? It takes ... an act of faith . And I have faith in this movie – not that it 's true , not that it 's factual , but that it 's a jolly good story . " He continued , " And I think audiences are clever enough and bright enough to separate out fact and fiction , and discuss the thing when they 've seen it " . McKellen appeared in the 2006 series of Ricky Gervais ' comedy series Extras , where he played himself directing Gervais ' character Andy Millman in a play about gay lovers . McKellen received a 2007 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor - Comedy Series nomination for his performance . In 2009 he portrayed Number Two in The Prisoner , a remake of the 1967 cult series The Prisoner . In 2013 , McKellen co @-@ starred in the ITV sitcom Vicious as Freddie Thornhill , alongside Derek Jacobi . The series revolves around an elderly gay couple who have been together for 50 years . On 23 August 2013 the show was renewed for a six @-@ episode second series which began airing in June 2015 . 
