James Michael Tyler Who Starred in TV Sitcom ‘Friends’ Passes Away at 59
‘Friends’ star James Michael Tyler who played ‘Gunther’ in the famous TV sitcom has passed away due to prostate cancer. He was 59.
‘Friends’ star James Michael Tyler who played ‘Gunther’ in the famous TV sitcom has passed away due to prostate cancer. He was 59.
Beginning of the year Tyler revealed to the public that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. The disease had spread to his bones.
His manager released a statement on Sunday that stated, “Tyler passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles on Sunday morning.”
“If you met him once you made a friend for life,” it added. “[He] is survived by his wife, Jennifer Carno, the love of his life.”
“Wanting to help as many people as possible, he bravely shared his story and became a campaigner for those with a prostate to get a... blood test as early as 40-years-old,” his manager said.
Gunther’s character as the manager of the Coffee House Central Perk where the friends often met gained immense popularity with the masses. He eventually came to be known as the seventh friend.
In the sitcom, Gunther had a crush on Jennifer Aniston’s character Rachel who also worked as a waitress in the coffee house in the early seasons.
He was also part of the much-awaited ‘Friends’ reunion that took place this year although he attended it virtually due to his illness.
During the special show, Michael said, “It was the most memorable 10 years of my life, honestly.”
“I could not have imagined just a better experience,” he said.
“All these guys were fantastic and just a joy to work with. It felt very, very special.”
Paying tribute to her co-star Jennifer wrote these words on her Insta account, “Friends would not have been the same without you. Thank you for the laughter you brought to the show and to all of our lives. You will be so missed.”
Courtney Cox shared these special words for Michael in an Insta post, “The size of gratitude you brought into the room and showed every day on set is the size of the gratitude I hold for having known you.”
Warner Bros Television, one of the co-producers of the sitcom, said Tyler was “a beloved actor and integral part of our Friends family”.
Michael continued to work despite being diagnosed with Cancer. He starred in two short films ‘The Gesture and the Word’ and ‘Processing’ which got him the best actor awards at various festivals.
