James Michael Tyler, best known for playing Gunther on Friends, has died at 59. The actor passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home on Sunday, his manager told TMZ. “The world knew him as Gunther (the seventh Friend)... but Michael’s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband,” a statement read.
After starring in more than 150 Friends episodes, Tyler went on to appear in shows like Scrubs, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Just Shoot Me! He also made a brief appearance over Zoom on the Friends HBO reunion special this summer. The actor revealed shortly afterward that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018.
Gunther, one of Friends’ most beloved characters, worked at the show’s coffee house, Central Perk. The lovelorn manager pined over Jennifer Aniston’s character, Rachel, for the better part of 10 seasons. In the final episode, Gunther was waved off with a characteristic joke: “Rachel, I know that you’re leaving tonight, but I just have to tell you: I love you. Now, I don’t know if that changes your plans at all, but I thought you should know.”
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