James Michael Tyler, who played Gunther on 'Friends' dies at 59

US actor James Michael Tyler, who was famous for his role as Gunther in the TV sitcom Friends has died at the age of 59.

A statement from his manager said, “Tyler passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles on Sunday morning.” He added, “If you met him once you made a friend for life,” it added. “[He] is survived by his wife, Jennifer Carno, the love of his life.”

Tyler was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 2018 which later spread to his bones. “Wanting to help as many people as possible, he bravely shared his story and became a campaigner for those with a prostate to get a… blood test as early as 40-years-old,” his manager said.

Gunther, despite not being commanded the same amount of screen time as the six main Friends characters, remained a popular figure among fans. He worked as a waiter and manager in the show’s coffee house, Central Perk.

In the show, he had a crush on Jennifer Aniston’s character Rachel throughout the series, who also worked there as a waitress in the show’s early seasons. Tyler appeared in almost 150 episodes of the comedy which ran on NBC from 1994 to 2004.

Paying tribute to Tyler, Aniston wrote on her Instagram page: “Friends would not have been the same without you. Thank you for the laughter you brought to the show and to all of our lives. You will be so missed.”

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In an Instagram post, co-star Courteney Cox, who played Monica, said: “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.”