FRIENDS actor James Michael Tyler had died aged 59, it has been confirmed.
He died at his home in Los Angeles on Sunday after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, his representatives said.
The star was loved by millions of fans for his portrayal of Gunther, the quirky manager of coffee shop Central Perk who possessed a head of bleached hair and an unrequited love for Jennifer Aniston's Rachel.
Aniston shared an Instagram post which included a photo of Tyler from the set and a clip of the pair in the final episode as Gunther declares his love for Rachel before being let down gently.
"Friends would not have been the same without you," the 52-year-old wrote in the post's caption.
"Thank you for the laughter you brought to the show and to all of our lives. You will be so missed."
Co-star Courteney Cox posted the same photo of Tyler in a pink-striped collared shirt and tie to express her "gratitude" to her former co-star.
Cox wrote: "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.
"Rest in peace, James."
Matt LeBlanc shared the same photo of Tyler as his co-stars, while the actor led with a still of the pair either side of Central Perk's counter.
"We had a lot of laughs buddy," LeBlanc wrote in the Instagram post's caption.
"You will be missed. RIP my friend."
Actress Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe, wrote on Instagram: "James Michael Tyler, we will miss you. Thank you for being there for us all. #jamesmichealtyler".
Tyler revealed in June that he had prostate cancer, telling a US TV show he was diagnosed with an advanced form of the disease in 2018 which had spread to his bones.
In a statement announcing his death, Tyler's representatives said: "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.
"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."
Tyler was dubbed by many fans as the "seventh Friend" due to his ubiquity on the series.
As well as playing Gunther, Tyler's other TV roles included teen sitcom Sabrina, The Teenage Witch and medical comedy Scrubs.
Kevin S Bright, an executive producer on Friends, also paid tribute following the death, saying: "James Michael Tyler Our Gunther passed away last night. He was an incredible person who spent his final days helping others. God bless you James, Gunther lives forever."
The official Friends Twitter account said: "Warner Bros Television mourns the loss of James Michael Tyler, a beloved actor and integral part of our FRIENDS family. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, colleagues and fans."
In 2021, Tyler's spoken word performance of Stephen Kalinich's poem If You Knew was adapted into a short video to raise awareness for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Tyler is survived by his wife, Jennifer Carno.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel