Watch Massive Keith’s iconic scotch egg scene from The Workplace
Actor and comic Ewen MacIntosh, greatest identified for his position as “Massive Keith” in The Workplace, has died aged 50.
The character, Keith Bishop, was a scotch egg-loving accountant who had a monotone answerphone message and would have somewhat had a profession as a DJ.
MacIntosh additionally appeared in different British comedies together with Miranda and Little Britain.
Bishop, who labored at fictional paper firm Wernham Hogg, will likely be remembered for scenes reminiscent of when he dressed up as Ali G for Crimson Nostril Day.
In his appraisal, workplace supervisor David Brent, performed by Ricky Gervais, makes him listing his strengths and weaknesses.
Chewing gum and searching bored, Keith responds “do not know” to all solutions and lists eczema as his weak point and accounts as his energy.
MacIntosh appeared in each sequence of The Workplace, which was first broadcast in 2001.
“I fondly recall we requested him to improvise an out-of-office message, and he was so hilarious we began writing an increasing number of dialogue for him,” Service provider recalled.
“He quickly stole each scene he was in. A complete one-off. A tragic loss.”
MacIntosh additionally appeared in different British comedies together with Miranda and Little Britain
MacIntosh’s most up-to-date appearing credit score was in 2017 as Lionel in British romantic comedy movie Discovering Fatimah.
“My first scene with Martin [Freeman], the place I eat the Scotch egg – we had bother doing that for some cause,” he recalled.
“It took ages to get that finished. I received via quite a lot of Scotch eggs. I wasn’t instructed about it. The props man nipped out and acquired them final minute.”
Actor Miranda Hart paid tribute to MacIntosh and mentioned she was glad they received to do a scene collectively on her BBC comedy present Miranda.
“We had been the identical age and crossed paths many instances as we did our greatest to be humorous and make a residing out of it,” she wrote on Instagram. “It wasn’t all the time doubtless however we did it and I’m glad we received to do a scene collectively. Thanks xx.”
“We had been fortunate sufficient to have him seem in Little Britain,” he mentioned. “He was candy and sensible and humble and, after all, brilliantly humorous.”
The Workplace creator Ricky Gervais described Ewen MacIntosh as an “absolute authentic”
Actor Rufus Jones, who directed and wrote comedy TV sequence House, known as MacIntosh an “absolute pleasure of a man”.
“A well-known and hilarious member of the Edinburgh sketch scene after we all began, and went on to create one of the iconic scene stealers in television comedy historical past,” he wrote on X.
MacIntosh, who attended Edinburgh College and was actively concerned in its comedy troupe, carried out on the Fringe Competition in 2007 as a part of a double act with Tim FitzHigham.
In 2009, he appeared in a charity music video for Chris Rea’s Driving House for Christmas alongside different celebrities.
TV channel Gold tweeted: “We liked him as Keith in The Workplace and had been fortunate sufficient to work with him through the years on the channel. Our ideas exit to his household and mates at such a troublesome time.”
MacIntosh’s good friend Ed Scott mentioned: “He could have had a well-known face identified by tens of millions as Keith from The Workplace however the individual inside is what I’ll most bear in mind.
“Ewen was so stuffed with empathy, kindness, and integrity and above all a extremely good man.”
MacIntosh’s reason behind loss of life has not been confirmed, however he died at Willow Inexperienced Care House in Darlington.
Scott mentioned: “Due to the unimaginable care and love supplied by the great medical employees and particularly the nurses who all liked him when he introduced a smile to their days.”
The actor’s company Simply Proper Administration mentioned there could be a personal cremation for household and shut mates, and a celebratory memorial service later within the yr.
