James Michael Tyler has passed away after a battle with stage 4 prostate cancer.
He was 59.
The actor was best known for playing Gunther, the beloved lovesick "Central Perk" barista, on “Friends.”
Tyler's rep told TMZ that he passed away peacefully on Sunday morning at his home in Los Angeles. Variety confirmed 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," his family said, per TMZ.
They added: "Michael loved live music, cheering on his Clemson Tigers, and would often find himself in fun and unplanned adventures. If you met him once you made a friend for life."
The actor was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in September 2018, which he made public in June 2021 while explaining his in-person absence from the iconic sitcom's May reunion on HBO Max.
While speaking with Today, he said that the cancer had spread to his bones.
Tyler revealed that by the time he received his initial diagnosis in 2018 following an annual checkup, the cancer had already spread to other parts of his body.
"So eventually, you know, it's gonna probably get me," he said.
Related
Initially Tyler was able to manage his illness via a hormone therapy. "All I had to do was take a pill in the morning and the night, and boom, life was pretty much normal," he shared, but the cancer mutated "right at the time of the pandemic" and spread to his bones and spine, causing paralysis in the lower part of his body.
The actor shared that he is currently undergoing chemotherapy, and urged others to get regular screenings. "There are other options available to men if they catch it before me. Next time you go in for just a basic exam or your yearly checkup, please ask your doctor for a PSA test," he said, signaling that the test for the prostate-specific antigen can help diagnose prostate cancer before it spreads.
"If it spreads beyond the prostate to the bones, which is most prevalent in my form, it can be a lot more difficult to deal with," noted Tyler. "I don't want people to have to go through what I've been going through. This is not... an easy process."
The barista with "brighter than the sun" hair -- Rachel's words -- first appeared on the second episode and became a mainstay appearing in 150 episodes a guest star throughout the sitcom's 10-season run. In an interview with Insider, he revealed he got the gig because he was the only extra that knew how to use an espresso machine.
His acting credits including "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and "Scrubs."
Variety notes that throughout his cancer treatment, he continued to star in two short films, "The Gesture and the Word" and "Processing."
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram