Friends' Gunther, Actor James Michael Tyler, Died at 59 After His Three-Year Fight Against Prostate Cancer

Actor James Michael Tyler, famously known as Gunther in the TV series Friends, has died at age 59 in his Los Angeles home on Sunday. A statement from his manager said that he is survived by his wife, Jennifer Carno, according to a BBC News report.

Tyler was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 2018 and has later spread to his bones. His manager noted that Tyler had bravely shared his story and became a campaigner for those with a prostate to get a blood test as early as 40-years-old.

Tyler's family noted that he loved live music, and cheering on his Clemson Tigers. They added that Tyler would often find himself in "fun and unplanned" adventures, according to a Daily Mail report.

Tyler publicly opened up about his diagnosis earlier this year, appearing on NBC's "Today" show. He said that he was diagnosed after a September 2018 checkup, wherein he registered an unusually high number for a "prostate-specific antigen."

The Friends actor said that he knew immediately when he went online and saw the results of his blood test that there was something quite wrong.

He recounted the incident and said that his doctor called him and said that he needed to come in tomorrow as they suspect he might have a serious problem with his prostate.

Tyler said that his cancer spread amid the COVID pandemic after a year of effective hormone therapy.

He said that he missed going in for a test, which was not a good thing. That was when cancer had mutated at the time of the pandemic.

Friends TV Series and Reunion

Tyler had appeared on the Friends reunion special on HBO Max in May via Zoom. He said that he wanted to be a part of that and was initially going to be on the stage, at least with them.

Tyler played the role of Gunther. He was not the main character but he was widely considered to be "the seventh friend" and had appeared in 150 episodes, according to The New York Times report.

Gunther was a barista at Centra Perk, who had developed a deep crush on Rachel, Jennifer Aniston's character.

Rachel had worked at the café as well for a short period of time.

His character was known as "Coffee Guy" during the first season of the TV series.

Tyler said that he was working as a barista for a place called Bourgeois Pig at the time, which was one of the last independent coffee houses in Los Angeles.

Marta Kauffman and David Crane shared a statement regarding Tyler's character, Gunther. The two said that Tyler's unique spirit caught their eye and knew they had to make him a character.

Gunther had managed to confess his love for Rachel, who had gently rejected him. Rachel told Gunther that she loves him, too, but not in the same way.

Rachel told Gunther in the series finale that she will be thinking of Gunther when she sees a man with hair brighter than the sun and when she's having coffee in a café.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: "Friends" Star James Michael Tyler Dead at 59 - from E! News