‘Friends’ Star ,James Michael Tyler has been reported dead on Oct. 24, months after he battled stage 4 srostate Cancer.
James Michael Tyler who was known for playing Gunther on ‘Friends,’ died at the age of 59 of stage 4 prostate cancer, TMZ reports.
James Michael was born on May 28, 1962 in Greenwood and died on Sunday, Oct. 24.
Speaking to TODAY’s Craig Melvin, on June 21, James revealed his cancer diagnosis.He said,“eventually, you know it’s gonna probably get me.”
A statement was also issued by his family.The family said to TMZ,
“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,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.”
Well, James Michael said in the TODAY interview on June 21, that his prostate cancer was discovered during a routine physical nearly 3 years ago when he was 56 years old.
James Michael said,
“In September of 2018, I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, which had spread to my bones.”
Unfortunately, his cancer mutated during the COVID pandemic which caused fractures in his bones and tumors up and down his spine. At the time of the interview, he was no longer able to walk.
While in tears, James Michael told Craig that he regretted not listening to his wife, Jennifer Carno, sooner regarding his health struggles. “I would have gone in earlier and would have been, you know, caught earlier,” he said. Before Jennifer, James Michael was married to Barbara Chadsey from 1995 to 2014.
James Michael was unable to personally attend the Friends reunion special on HBO Max due to his health. However, he did call in via video, much to the pleasure of the lead stars. In the TODAY interview, he said that David Schwimmer “corresponded” with him on Instagram after hearing about the diagnosis, and was “sure” that the other Friends stars knew about his cancer diagnosis by that point. Rest in peace, James Michael Tyler.
James Michael graduated from Anderson College in 1982 and also from Clemson University with a degree in genealogy. He was a member of a student theatre group at Clemson, which inspired him to seek out a career in acting.
James Michael also worked as a production assistant on the war film Fat Man and Little Boy. Six year later, James Michael began starring in Friends as Gunther, the sarcastic manager of the Central Perk coffee shop who had a crush on Jennifer Aniston‘s Rachel Green. He appeared in 148 total episodes across all ten seasons of the beloved NBC sitcom, the most of any other recurring character.
