Friends Actor James Michael Tyler aka Gunther Passes Away After Battling Prostate Cancer

Actor James Michael Tyler, who used to play the character of Gunther in the popular 90s sitcom FRIENDS, passed away on Sunday after battling prostate cancer. He was 59. According to reports in news outlets, Tyler died at his Los Angeles home. The actor revealed his diagnosis of stage IV prostate cancer in June this year. “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,” according to Tyler’s family member as quoted by news outlet TMZ.

Earlier this year, the actor was unable to be a part of the Friends Reunion episode due to his diagnosis. Later, he appeared on the special via a Zoom call.

“It was bittersweet, honestly. I was very happy to be included. It was my decision not to be a part of that physically and make an appearance on Zoom, basically, because I didn’t wanna bring a downer on it, you know? I didn’t want to be like, ‘Oh, and by the way, Gunther has cancer,'” he said of the reunion.

Tyler was first diagnosed in 2018 and by the time he announced it, it had already reached the fourth stage.

Friends producer Kevin Bright took to Twitter to remember the late actor. He wrote, “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.”

Despite not being one of the six friends in the show, Tyler’s character of Gunther, who was obsessed with Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel, received as much appreciation, fame and acknowledgement as the other six characters in Friends. The actress, too, offered condolences. Her Instagram post read, “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 #JamesMichaelTyler ????”

Apart from Friends, he appeared in an episode of the series Episodes and the 1999 film Motel Blue.

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