Ewen MacIntosh, Actor Who Played ‘Big Keith’ on British Version of ‘The Office,’ Dead at 50

Ewen MacIntosh, the British comedian who played the accountant “Big Keith” on the original U.K. version of The Office, has died at the age of 50.

The BBC reports that MacIntosh died at Willow Green Care Home in Darlington, England; no cause of death was provided.

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The Office co-creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant both took to social media to pay tribute to MacIntosh, who played the monotone, scotch egg-eating accountant so well that they turned what was a bit part into a beloved character.

“I’m so very sad to hear of the passing of Ewen MacIntosh, a lovely and uniquely funny man who played accountant Keith in The Office,” Merchant wrote. “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. RIP.”

MacIntosh’s “Big Keith” also served as the inspiration for the accountant Kevin Malone on the American version of The Office.

“Extremely sad news,” Gervais wrote. “The very funny and very lovely Ewen Macintosh, known to many as ‘Big Keith’ from The Office, has passed away. An absolute original. RIP.”

While MacIntosh was best known to American audiences for The Office, he also appeared in The Lobster and Little Britain, as well as appearances in Gervais’ subsequent series Life’s Too Short and After Life.

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