James Michael Tyler Biography – James Michael Tyler Wiki
James Michael Tyler was an American actor best known for his role as Gunther on the NBC sitcom Friends. He is best known as the coffee shop manager Gunther on the hit show “Friends,” and Rachel’s admirer on the iconic 90s television show for 10 seasons, but he was in numerous other titles including “Scrubs,” “Modern Music,” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.”
In 1988, he moved to Los Angeles and became a production assistant on the film Fat Man and Little Boy and became an assistant film editor. From 1994 to 2004, he played Gunther on the sitcom Friends. He was a coffee shop worker at Central Perk who had unrequited love for Rachel Green, played by Jennifer Aniston. This led to a ten-year career with appearances in 148 of Friends’ 236 episodes he is the show’s most frequently appearing recurring character actor.
In honor of Friends’ 15th anniversary in 2009, Tyler officially opened the temporary Central Perk pop-up replica in London. It was open for two weeks from September to October and fans could apply for tickets to receive a free coffee and see memorabilia from the show. He appeared in the unaired pilot satire sitcom Nobody’s Watching, playing himself on the set of Central Perk. In honor of Friends’ 20th anniversary in 2014, Tyler made appearances at a Central Perk replica in SoHo.
Tyler appeared in the BBC/Showtime sitcom Episodes (Series 2, Episode 6) as himself playing an ice hockey coach when Matt LeBlanc tries unsuccessfully to get the other main stars from Friends to appear in the promotional video for the fictional television show Pucks. He supported the Lili Claire Foundation and AIDS Project L. A Charities. Tyler lived in Hollywood until his death.
He graduated from Anderson College (now Anderson University) with a two-year degree in 1982 and Clemson University with a degree in geology in 1984. During his time at Clemson, he was a member of a student theatre group, the Clemson Players. This experience sparked his interest in becoming an actor. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Georgia in 1987.
James Michael Tyler Age
He was born on May 28, 1962, in Greenwood, Mississippi, United States, and died on October 24, 2021, in Los Angeles, California, United States. He was 59.
James Michael Tyler Wife
He married his second wife Jennifer Carno in 2017 and they remained together until his death in 2021. Prior to that, in 1995, he married Barbara Chadsey. The couple separated in 2003, and in 2014, he filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
James Michael Tyler Family
He was born the youngest of five children on May 28, 1962, in Greenwood, Mississippi. He was named after his uncle. His hometown was Winona, Mississippi. When he was 10 years old his father died, a former USAF captain, and when he was 11 years old, his mother died. At age 12, Tyler moved to Anderson, South Carolina to live with his sister.
James Michael Tyler Death
Tyler was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 but did not openly disclose his illness until June 2021, shortly after the release of Friends: The Reunion. He died from the disease at his home in Los Angeles on October 24, 2021, aged 59.
According to his representative Toni Benson, he died peacefully at his home on Sunday aged 59. “The world knew him as Gunther (the seventh “Friend”), from the hit series Friends, but Michael’s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband,” Benson’s statement read. Tyler passed away at his Los Angeles home Sunday after a battle with prostate cancer, which was first diagnosed in 2018, according to Benson. “Michael loved live music, cheering on his Clemson Tigers, and would often find himself in fun and unplanned adventures. If you met him once you made a friend for life,” the statement read.
“Friends” co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane told CNN in a statement that Tyler was a “genuinely kind, sweet man.”
Aniston said the show “would not have been the same” without Tyler’s performance as the Central Perk waiter. “Thank you for the laughter you brought to the show and to all of our lives. You will be so missed,” she said.
Co-star Cox, who played Monica, added her own tribute. “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,” she wrote. “Rest In peace, James.”
James Michael Tyler Cause of Death
He died from prostate cancer at his home in Los Angeles on October 24, 2021, aged 59.
James Michael Tyler Height
He stood at a listed height of 5 feet 9 inches (1.8 meters) tall.
