Actor and comedian Ewen MacIntosh, known for his role as “Big Keith” Bishop in the original UK The Office has passed away at 50. The cause of death remains undisclosed.
JustRight Management officially announced the heartbreaking passing of the star in a statement. “With great sadness we announce the peaceful passing of our beloved comedy genius Ewen MacIntosh. His family thank all who supported him, especially Willow Green Care Home.”
Ricky Gervais Pays Tribute to His ‘The Office’ Co-Star, Ewen MacIntosh
Ricky Gervais, who co-created and starred in The Office, took to X (formerly Twitter) to pay tribute to his former castmate.
“Extremely sad news. The very funny and very lovely Ewen Macintosh, known to many as ‘Big Keith’ from The Office, has passed away. An absolute original. RIP,” Gervais wrote.
Comedian and former host of The Great British Bake Off, Matt Lucas, also honored MacIntosh.
“So sad to hear of the passing of Ewen MacIntosh,” he wrote. “We were lucky enough to have him appear in ‘Little Britain’. He was sweet and smart and humble and, of course, brilliantly funny.”
Born on December 25, 1973, in Merionethshire, Wales, MacIntosh pursued linguistics at the University of Edinburgh. During his time there, he engaged in the Edinburgh University Theatre Company and The Improverts.
Ewen MacIntosh’s ‘The Office’ Character Was a Fan Favorite
Ewen MacIntosh achieved his breakthrough in 2001 when he landed the role of Keith Bishop in The Office U.K. Known for his deadpan humor and comical disinterest in work (dreaming of being a DJ instead), Keith quickly became a fan favorite. Even with various staff turnovers at the fictional Wernham Hogg paper company, Keith continued to be part of the series until its final episode in 2003. In many ways, his character is the basis for Kevin Malone in the American version of The Office.
Besides The Office, MacIntosh made appearances in British comedy series like Miranda, Lead Balloon, and Little Britain. He also had a cameo in A Serbian Film with fellow Office star Mackenzie Crook, and portrayed Carl in the BBC radio sitcom Cabin Pressure.
Most recently, he had a brief appearance in the concluding season of Gervais’ Netflix show After Life.