Gunther From 'Friends' Has Died At 59 & The Cast Responses Are Heartbreaking
James Michael Tyler is being remembered as a "big-hearted gentleman."
This is the one with the tears.
James Michael Tyler, aka Gunther from Friends, has died of prostate cancer at the age of 59, and the original cast of the show is absolutely shook by the news.
"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," Tyler's agent wrote in a statement announcing his death.
Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc all turned to social media after news broke of Tyler's death on Sunday.
"Friends would not have been the same without you," Aniston wrote in an Instagram post late Sunday. "Thank you for the laughter you brought to the show and to all of our lives. You will be so missed."
She also shared a clip from the series finale of the show, in which Gunther finally confesses that he loves Rachel after nursing that crush for a decade.
Tyler was a real-life barista before he played one on Friends, and he became a part of the show by chance. He originally signed on to be an extra at the Central Perk coffee shop but the writers eventually gave him lines, a name and an undying love for Rachel over the years.
He ended up appearing in 150 episodes of the show, and even appeared via Zoom in the Friends reunion earlier this year.
"James, thank you for playing such a wonderful, unforgettable role in Friends and for being such a big-hearted gentleman and all around mensch off screen," Schwimmer wrote. "You will be missed, buddy."
Lisa Kudrow wrote: "Thank you for being there for us all."
"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," Cox wrote on Instagram.
"We had a lot of laughs buddy. You will be missed," LeBlanc wrote on Instagram. "RIP my friend."
Tyler was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 2018 and he spoke out about his battle in June of this year. He also encouraged men to get checked regularly.
"There are other options available to men if they catch it before me," Tyler told TODAY. "Next time you go in for just a basic exam or your yearly checkup, please ask your doctor for a PSA test. It's easily detectable."