{"id":13432,"date":"2021-10-25T11:37:03","date_gmt":"2021-10-25T00:37:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&p=203992"},"modified":"2021-10-25T16:21:33","modified_gmt":"2021-10-25T05:21:33","slug":"friends-star-james-michael-tyler-dies","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/friends-star-james-michael-tyler-dies\/","title":{"rendered":"Beloved “Friends” Star, James Michael Tyler, Dies Aged 59"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"James
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 16: Actor James Michael Tyler attends the Central Perk Pop-Up Celebrating The 20th Anniversary Of “Friends” on September 16, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Paul Zimmerman\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

James Michael Tyler – the beloved\u00a0<\/em>star who played Gunther on American sitcom,\u00a0Friends<\/a> – <\/em>sadly died at the weekend aged 59. According to\u00a0Associated Press<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>the actor passed away on Sunday at his Los Angeles home due to stage 4 prostate cancer. He was first diagnosed with the illness in 2018.<\/p>\n

Tyler’s manager, Toni Benson, released a statement overnight honouring the late actor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe world knew him as Gunther (the seventh Friend), from the hit series Friends, but Michael\u2019s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband,\u201d Benson wrote. \u201cMichael loved live music, cheering on his Clemson Tigers, and would often find himself in fun and unplanned adventures.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Gunther
Credit: Warner Bros.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tyler was famously known as Gunther, the Central Perk barista who had a long-standing crush on lead character, Rachel (played by Jennifer Aniston<\/a>). Over ten seasons of Friends <\/em>he became the most frequently recurring guest star. It’s a pretty impressive title given he wasn’t a professional actor before the role.<\/p>\n

In June he disclosed his battle with cancer<\/a> which left him paralysed below the waist and unable to attend the highly-publicised Friends\u00a0<\/em>reunion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Aniston responded to the devastating news on Instagram, revisiting a scene the pair filmed together. Her caption 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.”<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Jennifer Aniston (@jenniferaniston)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n