Those who watched the original version of The Office out of Britain will know him as "Big Keith." Ewen MacIntosh, the actor who portrayed an accountant aspiring to be a DJ, has died at age 50, reports the BBC. No cause of death was given, but a statement from his management company said MacIntosh had been in "ill health" for the last two years, per the Guardian. MacIntosh also worked as a comedian and in other shows, but he was best known for his portrayal of the egg-loving Keith Bishop in the show's first broadcast in 2001.
The two men responsible for creating the show were quick to pay their respects:
- Ricky Gervais: "Extremely sad news," he tweeted. "The very funny and very lovely Ewen Macintosh ... has passed away. An absolute original. RIP."
- Stephen Merchant: He called MacIntosh a "lovely and uniquely funny man" in an Instagram post, adding, "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." Big Keith had a trademark "monotone" phone message, notes the BBC.
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