'The Office' Actor Ewen MacIntosh Dies Aged 50

British actor and comedian Ewen MacIntosh, who was popularly known for the BBC's original comedy series "The Office," has died at the age of 50.

According to his friend Ed Scott, MacIntosh was to be remembered as a "good man" who was "full of empathy, kindness, and integrity."

"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," he added.

MacIntosh's cause of death has not been confirmed, but he died at Willow Green Care Home in Darlington.

His agency, Just Right Management, said there would be a private cremation for family and close friends and a celebratory memorial service later in the year.

'The Office' UK Cast Mourns MacIntosh's Death

MacIntosh was portraying Keith Bishop, a scotch egg-loving accountant with a monotone answerphone message and would rather have been a DJ for a career.

Aside from "The Office" - which was created by British comedian Ricky Gervais and ran on the BBC from 2001 to 2003 - the actor also appeared in other British comedies including "Miranda" and "Little Britain."

Gervais led the tributes to his former cast colleague, describing MacIntosh as "an absolute original."

"The Office" co-writer and co-director Stephen Merchant added that MacIntosh was "a lovely and uniquely funny man."

"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 added on his Instagram post. "He soon stole every scene he was in. A total one-off. A tragic loss."

MacIntosh's acting and industry colleagues have also expressed grief for his death, including Miranda Hart, Matt Lucas, Rufus Jones, and Lizzy Cundy.

"The Office" was adapted for US audiences by Greg Daniels and aired on NBC from 2005 to 2013.

Tags

Uk, The Office, Ricky Gervais