▁' 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 ▁fact ual , ▁but ▁that ▁it ' s ▁a ▁j olly ▁good ▁story ." ▁He ▁continued , ▁" And ▁I ▁think ▁aud ien ces ▁are ▁clever ▁enough ▁and ▁bright ▁enough ▁to ▁separate ▁out ▁fact ▁and ▁fiction , ▁and ▁discuss ▁the ▁thing ▁when ▁they ' ve ▁seen ▁it ". ▁McK ellen ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁BBC ▁series ▁of ▁R icky ▁Ger va is ' ▁comedy ▁series ▁Ext ras , ▁where ▁he ▁played ▁himself ▁direct ing ▁Ger va is ' ▁character ▁Andy ▁Mill man ▁in ▁a ▁play ▁about ▁gay ▁lo vers . ▁McK ellen ▁received ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁Prim etime ▁Em my ▁Award ▁for ▁Out standing ▁Gu est ▁A ctor ▁– ▁Com edy ▁Series ▁nom ination ▁for ▁his ▁performance . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁he ▁port rayed ▁Number ▁Two ▁in ▁The ▁Pr ison er , ▁a ▁re make ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁cult ▁series ▁The ▁Pr ison er . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁McK ellen ▁co - star red ▁in ▁the ▁I TV ▁sit com ▁V icious ▁as ▁Fred die ▁Th orn hill , ▁alongside ▁D erek ▁Jacob i . ▁The ▁series ▁revol ves ▁around ▁an ▁elder ly ▁gay ▁couple ▁who ▁have ▁been ▁together ▁for ▁ 5 0 ▁years .