The Office star Ewen MacIntosh has died at the age of 50.
Ewen was best known for his performance as office accountant Keith in the award-winning British sitcom.
The Welsh actor’s other on-screen credits included the British TV shows Miranda and Little Britain, as well as After Life, another Ricky Gervais project which he made a cameo in during its final season in 2022.
JustRight Management confirmed the news of Ewen’s death on Wednesday morning, in a statement which read: “With great sadness we announce the peaceful passing of our beloved comedy genius Ewen MacIntosh.
“His family thank all who supported him, especially Willow Green Care Home.”
The Office creator Ricky Gervais was among the first to pay tribute, remembering his former collaborator as “an absolute original”.
“Extremely sad news. The very funny and very lovely Ewen Macintosh, known to many as ‘Big Keith’ from The Office, has passed away,” Ricky wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The actor and comedian’s more recent credits included a brief role in EastEnders in 2020, an appearance on Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and the ITV2 series The Comedy Sketch Show.
He also appeared in the comedies Lead Balloon, Mile High and another of Ricky Gervais creations, the Warwick Davis mockumentary Life’s Too Short, as well as the British films Big Fat Gypsy Gangster and Finding Fatimah.
In Febraury 2022, Ewen shared that he was receiving treatment in hospital, telling his social media followers: “Bad times for me I’m afraid, chums. Stay strong out there.”