James Michael Tyler, who played Gunther on ‘Friends,’ dies

NEW YORK — James Michael Tyler, the histrion known wide for his recurring relation arsenic Gunther connected “Friends,” has died. He was 59.

Tyler died Sunday astatine location successful Los Angeles from prostate cancer, said his manager, Toni Benson. Tyler was archetypal diagnosed with precocious prostate crab successful 2018.

“The satellite knew him arsenic Gunther (the seventh ‘Friend’), from the deed bid ‘Friends,’ but Michael’s loved ones knew him arsenic an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband,” Benson wrote successful a tribute. “Michael loved unrecorded music, cheering connected his Clemson Tigers, and would often find himself successful amusive and unplanned adventures.”

Tyler had appeared concisely successful 1990s bid similar “Just Shoot Me!” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” earlier being formed arsenic a inheritance quality successful the 2nd occurrence of “Friends” successful 1994. Over the show’s multi-year run, helium became the astir often recurring impermanent prima connected the bid playing Gunther, the Central Perk barista with an unrequited affection for Rachel (Jennifer Aniston).

Tyler was initially formed portion moving arsenic a barista astatine the Bourgeois Pig java store successful Los Angeles. He didn’t person a enactment of dialog connected “Friends” until helium had made 33 appearances connected the show, according to the 2019 book, “Generation Friends: An Inside Look astatine the Show That Defined a Television Era,” by Saul Austerlitz. Over the 236 episodes, Tyler appeared successful 150 of them.

Warner Bros. Television, which produced the deed series, mourned the decease of Tyler, “a beloved histrion and integral portion of our ‘Friends’ family.”

Once “Friends” concluded successful 2004, Tyler made appearances connected “Scrubs,” “Modern Music” and helium played himself connected an occurrence of Matt LeBlanc’s “Episodes” successful 2012.

After being diagnosed with cancer, Tyler starred successful 2 abbreviated films portion undergoing attraction and gave a spoken connection show of the Stephan Kalinich poem “If You Knew” to assistance rise consciousness for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Tyler is survived by his wife, Jennifer Carno.