Ewan Mackintosh, Keith Bishop of UK's 'The Office', dies aged 50

Ewan Mackintosh, the British actor and comedian known for his dry portrayal of Keith Bishop, a dimwitted accountant, in the British sitcom The Office, died on Monday in the English town of Darlington. He was 50.

His management company, Just Right Management, did not give a cause, but said he had suffered from “poor health” for the past two years and that he had been receiving support from a nursing home before his death.

Mr McIntosh has appeared in several comedy films and television series, including the sketch show Little Britain. But it was in the fake documentary series The Office that he played his most famous role as a socially inept accountant working in a boring branch of a paper company.

Created by Ricky Gervais (who played the annoying boss) and Stephen Merchant, it focuses on the horrors and trivial lives of office workers. It debuted in 2001 and ran for two seasons, as well as a Christmas special. Critics have praised his comedic approach, and his hard-hitting examination of the minutiae of office politics, from social misfits and insufferable co-workers to overbearing managers, has resonated with audiences.

The show later inspired an Emmy Award-winning American counterpart, adapted by Greg Daniels and starring Steve Carell for most of its run. The American “Office” ran for nine seasons and attracted its avid fan base.

“If there's a theme, it's about missed opportunity,” Mr. Gervazy said in 2003. an interview from The New York Times. “When you make a comedy, it's about wasting your life.”

It was a sentiment embodied by Keith Bishop, an accountant who had no interest in the job at all, and Mr. Mackintosh imbued it with a languid affect. He was chewing eraser during performance evaluationmade inappropriate comments to colleagues and liked to eat Scotch eggs.

His carefree performance was inspired by the 1984 comedy “This is a spinal tap,» he said in an interview with Vice in 2021. “I always remember Christopher Guest, who plays Nigel Tufnell, just chewing gum and looking blank. I thought, 'I'll try it and see what happens,'” he said. “It turned out.”

Ewan Douglas Mackintosh was born in Wales on December 25, 1973. He studied at the University of Edinburgh, where he performed in improv and theater groups.

After his hiatus from The Office, he continued to work in the entertainment industry as an actor, writer and host. He performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2007 and was seen in Yorgos Lanthimos' 2015 film The Lobster; the TV series “After Life” (2019-2022), created by and starring Mr. Gervase; and the 2017 romantic comedy Finding Fatima.

Information about the survivors was not immediately available.

Mr. Mackintosh never quite left Keith Bishop. Even two decades after The Office aired, he was still sharing personalized messages with fans as Keith upon request.

“I'm very proud to be a part of it,” he told Vice. “I think it's holding up well, and it can go on like this for a long time.”