James Michael Tyler
“Friends” stars mourn deceased colleagues
James Michael Tyler and Jennifer Aniston in a joint scene on the hit sitcom “Friends”.
© imago / Everett Collection
Great sadness in the “Friends” universe: The popular actor James Michael Tyler is dead. His colleagues pay tribute to him on social media.
James Michael Tyler (1962-2021) is dead. As his manager announced in a statement, he “died peacefully in his home in Los Angeles” on Sunday morning (October 24th). The US actor was 59 years old and left behind his wife Jennifer Carno, “the love of his life”, among others BBC reported from the statement.
Tyler was best known for the hit sitcom “Friends” (1994-2004). He played Gunther, the manager of the Central Perk café, and was one of the series’ most popular characters. From 1994 to 2004 he stood at the side of Jennifer Aniston (52), Courteney Cox (57), Lisa Kudrow (58), Matt LeBlanc (54), David Schwimmer (54) and Matthew Perry (52) in front of the camera. The world knew him as Gunther, “but Michael’s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-fighting advocate and loving husband,” continued his manager.
James Michael Tyler had cancer
James Michael Tyler had already been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. In June of this year he made the diagnosis public and announced that the cancer had spread. The disease is now in its terminal stages. Because of tumors in his spine and bones, the actor can no longer walk. Pictures in a post of the “Today Show” show him in a wheelchair.
“Friends” stars Jennifer Aniston and Co. say goodbye
His former “Friends” stars vented their grief via Instagram. “‘Friends’ wouldn’t have been the same without you”, explained Jennifer Aniston and published a scene in which the two can be seen in their roles Gunther and Rachel. “Thank you for the laughs that you brought to the show and all of our lives. We will miss you very much.”
Courteney Cox wrote on a photo of Tyler: “The level of gratitude you have brought into the room and shown on set each day is the level of gratitude I feel for knowing you. Rest in peace James.” Lisa Kudrow will miss him too, just like her in a post clarified. “Thank you for being there for all of us.”
Matt LeBlanc remembered on Instagram back to the time together: “We laughed a lot, buddy. We’ll miss you. RIP my friend.”
James Michael Tyler at Reunion via video call
In May, the series stars Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, Perry, Schwimmer and LeBlanc returned to the original location of the cult comedy on the premises of Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank in “Friends: The Reunion”. James Michael Tyler could also be seen in it – but only via video call.