Welsh actor and comedian Ewen MacIntosh has passed away at the age of 50, Deadline reported. Mr. MacIntosh was best known for playing the accountant “Big Keith” in BBC’s “The Office,” a British sitcom that was co-created, co-written, and co-directed by actor Ricky Gervais.
Mr. MacIntosh’s management company, Just Right Management, confirmed his passing in a statement shared with The Epoch Times via email. “It is with a heavy heart I can confirm the very sad news of our client Ewen’s passing,” Chelle Just, the talent agency’s owner, wrote.
She noted that Mr. MacIntosh “suffered from ill health” for the past two years and that he “passed peacefully” on Monday, Feb. 19, from “undisclosed causes.”
“Ewen was a wonderful actor and an even better human being. He made people laugh and possessed such a kind heart. He touched the lives of all who came into contact with him,” Ms. Just continued. “His family are heartened by and deeply appreciate all the outpouring of love for Ewen but would appreciate the privacy for them to grieve at this very difficult time.”
The talent agency also issued a statement on X, formerly Twitter, stating Mr. MacIntosh’s family thanked “all who supported him, especially Willow Green Care Home.” The company noted there would be a private cremation for family and close friends “soon” and a celebratory memorial “later in the year.”
Celebrities Pay Their Respect
Tributes began pouring in following the news of the late comedian’s passing. Mr. MacIntosh’s friend, Ed Scott, chief executive officer of DAB Music, paid his respects on social media platform X, stating he was “completely devastated by the loss of [his] very good friend.”
“He may have had a famous face known by millions as Keith from The Office but the person inside is what I will most remember,” Mr. Scott wrote. “Ewen was so full of empathy, kindness, and integrity and above all a really good man.”
He continued: “Thanks to the incredible care and love provided by the wonderful medical staff and especially the nurses who all loved him when he brought a smile to their days.” Mr. Scott added that he was “sending love” to Mr. MacIntosh’s parents, Sara and Ewen Sr, his brother Colin, and his family, “as well as his many friends and fans.”
Comedian and actor Stephen Merchant, who also co-created, co-wrote, and co-directed “The Office,” tweeted that he was “very sad” to hear of Mr. MacIntosh’s passing, calling him “a lovely, uniquely funny man.”
Actor Thomas Mitchells also paid tribute to the late comedian on X, issuing a lighthearted reference to Mr. MacIntosh’s character, Keith Bishop, who was well-known for his love of scotch eggs. “No one in the history of TV could ever make eating a scotch egg an iconic moment in Comedy History,” he wrote, adding that the actor was “one of a kind.”
Remembering the Late Comedian
The comedian appeared in both seasons of the U.K. version of “The Office,” which was broadcast from 2001 until 2003. He also appeared in two episodes of the British comedy series “Little Brain,” per the actor’s IMDb.The actor also played a tour guide in the 2011 comedy flick “Big Fat Gypsy Gangster” and the character “Lionel” in the 2017 romance-comedy “Finding Fatimah.” Mr. MacIntosh also portrayed a trainer waiter in the 2015 romance-comedy “The Lobster,” the latter of which also starred actors Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, and John C. Reilly, among others.
More recently, the actor appeared in “Nightmare on 34th Street” (2023), “Hammer Home” (2022), “Reduced to Clear” (2021), and “South of the River” (2020). He also made a cameo in Mr. Gervais’s Netflix drama, “After Life,” playing “Buffet Man.”
The actor has two upcoming credits listed for “Fizzy Days,” which is currently in development, and “For the Love of Ella,” a television movie that is in production.
