Cast of The Office now - tragic death, Hollywood fame and painful divorce

21 February 2024 , 10:07

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Cast of The Office now - tragic death, Hollywood fame and painful divorce

Fans of The Office are in mourning following the death of Keith actor, Ewen MacIntosh.

More than two decades have passed since the first episode of The Office - and a lot has happened to the employees of Wernham Hogg since then, with fans rocked by this latest tragedy.

The now iconic British sitcom, which aired between 2001 and 2003 on BBC Two, went on to change the face of comedy forever and sparked the ever-popular US version, starring Steve Carell. Ricky Gervais, who co-wrote the show alongside creative partner Stephen Merchant, went on to achieve immense success, meanwhile, Martin Freeman conquered Hollywood.

Comedy actor, Ewen, who starred as oddball character Keith Bishop in UK version of the classic sitcom, has died at the age of 50, it has been announced today. His management's company JustRight Management shared the sad news of his 'peaceful passing' in a statement and said: "His family thank all who supported him, especially Willow Green Care Home."

It's been 23 years since The Office first aired (BBC)

Here, we take a look at the cast's highs and lows behind the scenes and how their careers compared to their onscreen counterparts...

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Ricky played David Brent (BBC)

Ricky Gervais (David Brent)

Gervais was one of the masterminds behind the show, creating, writing, and directing it alongside Stephen Merchant. He also starred as the general manager of the Slough branch of Wernham Hogg and was such a big fan of his character of David Brent that he brought him back to life in 2016 for a movie called David Brent: Life on the Road.

The actor, 62, has gone on to star in many more films and television shows since then, including Ghost Town, Night at the Museum, Extras, and Derek. Most recently he's had a hit with his Netflix show After Life, which he also writes and directs. He stars as Tony Johnson, whose life is turned upside down after his wife dies from breast cancer.

Ricky has been with long-term partner Jane Fallon, who is an author, for 40 years. But he's revealed that they will never marry. Speaking to The Times, the TV star said: "We are married for all intents and purposes, everything's shared and actually our fake marriage has lasted longer than a real one. But there's no point in us having an actual ceremony before the eyes of God because there is no God." Similarly, the duo has ruled out children in their lives. The comedian told Daily Telegraph: "One good reason I don't want [kids] is that I don't think I'd sleep at night."

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Martin Freeman (Tim Canterbury)

Freeman portrayed sales representative Tim, who spent most of the show pining for the company's receptionist Dawn. The 51-year-old Aldershot native has become a star since his days on the show, winning numerous awards including BAFTAs and Emmys for his work.

He is well-known for his portrayal of Dr John Watson in the BBC adaptation of Sherlock, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, and has also had notable roles in The Responder, The Hobbit, starring as Bilbo Baggins, as well as playing Everett K. Ross in Marvel movies such as Black Panther and Captain America: Civil War.

Martin has gone on to star in Sherlock, The Responder and Marvel movies (BBC/Dancing Ledge)

Mackenzie Crook (Gareth Keenan)

Martin Freeman originally read for the role of Gareth, the humourless Assistant Regional Manager, but it ultimately went to Mackenzie Crook. The 51-year-old actor didn't manage to earn major awards for his work on the sitcom, but he went on to secure a BAFTA nod for his BBC comedy Detectorist, which ran from 2014 to 2022 and followed two friends who loved metal detecting.

As well as this, he also starred in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise as Ragetti and on Game of Thrones as a warg in the third season. His most notable role is perhaps the lead in the remake of Worzel Gummidge in 2019. The drama series was an adaptation of the fantasy books by Barbara Euphan Todd.

Mackenzie went on to have a hit show with Detectorists (BBC/Channel X/Kevin Baker)

Lucy Davis (Dawn Tilsley)

Davis starred as receptionist Dawn in the show and had to do a lot of dirty work for David Brent - as well as put up with his terrible jokes. When The Office ended, she went on to appear in various other films and programmes, including Shaun of the Dead, Wonder Woman, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Ugly Betty.

The 50-year-old, who is the daughter of comic Jasper Carrott, now lives in LA and recently showed off an incredible transformation after taking up weightlifting. Taking to Instagram, she regularly shares snaps of herself working out.

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Lucy has gone on to play Hilda Spellman in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Lucy has also opened up about the struggles she's faced in recent times, and how her brother Jake has helped her through - including her battle with bulimia and divorce from fellow actor Owain Yeoman in 2011. The actress has never spoken about what caused the marriage split and says she "never will". Her illness led to her joining Overeaters Anonymous – and while these days she is much better, it remains a part of her life.

Ralph Ineson (Chris Finch)

The 53-year-old actor from Leeds played the main antagonist in The Office, Chris Finch, also known as Finchy. He's gone on to have several other big roles since then, including playing one of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters, Amycus Carrow, in the final three Harry Potter movies.

As well as this, his CV also boasts parts in Coronation Street, Waterloo Road, Peaky Blinders, Chernobyl, Game of Thrones, and The Witch. However, the actor is fed up with all his work being compared to his part in The Office. He told The Daily Mail in 2021 that he felt as if he'd been typecast, saying: "To say I'm tired of every part I've played for the last 20 years being cross-referenced with Finchy would be an understatement."

Ralph was the main antagonist on the show (© BBC)

Ewen MacIntosh (Keith Bishop)

Before taking on the role of Keith, Ewen was working in marketing research but he quickly became a fan-favourite, despite only having limited screen time this kickstarted his career, with him going on to have roles in Little Britain, Eastenders, and The Lobster.

MacIntosh also reprised his role in the 2016 David Brent movie and appeared in After Life alongside Gervais. He experienced some tough times in the years before is passing, being declared bankrupt in 2016 and was rushed to hospital in 2022, telling fans it was due to "bad times".

After the announcement of his death on February 21, Ricky Gervais took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to pay tribute to his former co-star. He wrote: "Extremely sad news. The very funny and very lovely Ewen Macintosh, known to many as 'Big Keith' from The Office, has passed away. An absolute original. RIP."

Stephen has had big success since the show ended (BBC/Big Talk/Four Eyes)

Stephen Merchant (Oggy)

Merchant co-created The Office with Gervais and took on the role of Nathan 'Oggy' aka The Oggmonster. Alongside Gervais, he also wrote and directed Extras and Life's Too Short, as well as co-producing the American version of The Office.

Since then the comedian has developed An Idiot Abroad starring Karl Pilkington as well as Lip Sync Battle with John Krasinski from the US version of The Office. Merchant has also appeared in Logan, Jojo Rabbit, Modern Family, and The Big Bang Theory and most recently, he created, directed, and starred in The Outlaws on BBC and Amazon Prime Video.

Nia Dalton