What role did Ewen MacIntosh play in The Office? Details explored as actor passes away at 50

The Office UK actor Ewen Macintosh passed away on Monday, February 19, 2024, at the age of 50. The cause of the actor's death wasn't revealed at the time of writing this article. Following the release of the news of his death, fans, especially those who loved The Office UK, took to social media to express sadness about Ewen's loss.

Ewen Macintosh was known for his work in multiple series including, For The Love of Ella, Cabin Pressure, and On Order and Away. However, he was most popularly known for his role as Big Keith in the British version of The Office. Starring Ricky Gervais, the series saw Macintosh as one of the fan-favorite accountants at Wenham Hogg.

The actor also appeared in the US version of The Office along with Gervais in a cameo role. The co-creator of BBC’s The Office, Stephen Merchant, posted a tribute on Instagram, describing Macintosh as a “lovely and uniquely funny man."

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The Office star Ewen Macintosh passes away at 50

Macintosh played the role of an accountant named Keith Bishop in The Office. He was part of Wernham Hogg but wanted to make it as a DJ. Shown as arguably the dullest character in the series, Keith had a range of adventures on the show and was often made fun of due to his lack of DJing skills.

Keith joined the 'Universally Challenged' Quiz Team alongside Sheila and Jackie in Series 1 and had a particular affection for the Peak Practice TV series. He showed off his DJing skills during an Office party and was immediately ridiculed.

In series 2 Keith Bishop most hilariously dressed up as Ali G. Despite the obvious dullness, Keith was one of the most genuine characters on the show, and would often find himself become the butt of jokes on the series.

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Fans and co-stars pay tributes to Ewen Macintosh

The sudden passing of the actor brought forth a range of nostalgic tributes for him. Macintosh was most famously remembered for a scene in the series during a Red Nose Day episode, where he dresses up as a popular Sacha Baron Cohen character Alli G.

In his tribute, Stephen Merchant explained the love and respect he had for Ewen Macintosh.

"I fondly recall we asked him to improvise an out-of-office message, and he was so hilarious we started writing more and more dialogue for him. He soon stole every scene he was in. A total one-off. A tragic loss." Merchant wrote on social media.

Actress Miranda Hart, who also worked with Macintosh on the BBC show Miranda, also paid tribute to him.

"We were the same age and crossed paths many times as we did our best to be funny and make a living out of it. It wasn't always likely but we did it and I am glad we got to do a scene together. Thank you xx." She said.

The news also brought forth a nostalgic tweet from Ricky Gervais himself. He described the Big Keith actor as a funny and lovely human being.

"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 noted.

With his character known to have an obsession with scotch eggs, Macintosh had revealed that he initially had a lot of trouble eating them on camera.

Speaking to Vice, the actor had claimed that he had gone through a number of scotch eggs when filming the scene for the first time. However, it was a trait that his fans still talk about.

As The Office community moans the loss of a comedy icon, Ewen Macintosh will be remembered for his work in the industry, for a long time.