James Michael Tyler, the beloved actor who rose to fame for his portrayal of Gunther on the show Friends, died of prostate cancer yesterday morning at the age of 59.
According to the official statement made by his representative, Tyler died quietly at his home in Los Angeles after being diagnosed with the terrible disease in September 2018, news that he himself shared publicly earlier this year in the program Today Show.
Michael’s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer activist, and dear husband. Michael loved live music, supporting the Clemson Tigers team, and usually enjoyed fun and spontaneous adventures. If you only met him once, you knew he was your friend. James was a genuinely sweet and kind man. When he started out as an extra on ‘Friends’, his unique spirit caught our attention and we knew we needed to make him a consistent character. He made Gunther’s platonic love realistic. Our hearts go out to his wife, Jennifer Carno.
– Marta Kauffman and David Crane, creators of ‘Friends’
Tyler rose to fame for his work as Gunther, the Central Perk coffee shop barista who had an intense love for Rachel, played by Jennifer Aniston, on the iconic series. Friends from NBC. Called by many the seventh friend, the actor was one of the supporting characters with the most participation in the show.
So far, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer have shared photos and videos of the scenes that their characters, Rachel, Monica, Joey and Ross, had with Gunther in the series, thanking the time and friendship that they managed to forge over the years on and off the set.
In addition to Friends, Tyler’s career included titles such as Sabrina the teenage witch, Scrubs and Modern Music. While under treatment for his illness, the actor decided to continue working and participated in two short films, The Gesture and The World and Processing, which won him awards at international festivals.
It was the 10 most memorable years of my life, honestly. Couldn’t imagine a better experience. All of these guys were fantastic and just a pleasure to work with. It was something very, very special.
– James Michael Tyler
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