Ewen MacIntosh, who played lovable loser Keith in Ricky Gervais‘ seminal BBC comedy The Office, has died aged 50.
Gervais was among those paying tribute to the actor, whose passing was confirmed by his talent agency, JustRight Management.
“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,” read the statement.
No cause of death was revealed, but JustRight noted there will be a private cremation for family and close friends “soon: and a celebratory memorial later in the year.
Gervais, who starred in the The Office alongside MacIntosh between 2001 and 2003, wrote on social media that the passing was “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,” he added.
MacIntosh’s character in The Office, Keith Bishop, was known for his deadpan delivery. The character was central to several famous episodes, including ‘Big Keith’s Appraisal’, in which Gervais’ office branch manager, David Brent, run through his strengths and weaknesses.
UKTV channel Gold, which often runs repeats of The Office, said in a statement: “We at Gold are saddened to hear that Ewen MacIntosh has passed away at the age of 50. We loved him as Keith in The Office and were lucky enough to work with him over the years on the channel. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends at such a difficult time.”
According to IMDb, Macintosh’s most recent role was in 2023 indie horror film Nightmare on 34th Street. He had also appeared in films such as Drew Cullingham’s Shed of the Dead, Steve M Kelly’s The Bromley Boys and Raza Mallal’s Snapshot Wedding. TV credits include appearances in UK comedy series Little Britain, Lead Balloon and Miranda.
