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American actor James Michael Tyler, best known as Gunther in the hit series Friends, has died. He turned 59.
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He wasn’t one of the six well-known friends from Friends, but Gunther, who was a bartender at the Central Perk coffeehouse, did become a popular and immortal character. The actor who portrayed that character died Sunday morning at his home in Los Angeles. James Michael Tyler turned 59. Earlier this year he announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer three years ago. The cancer spread to his bones, and Tyler became paralyzed.
“He wanted to help as many people as possible,” reads a statement from his management. “He boldly shared his story and campaigned for early blood tests.” His enthusiasm was also praised: “If you met James once, you had a friend for life.”
As Gunther, bartender and manager of the coffeehouse where the six Friends used to gather, he was in love with Jennifer Anniston’s character Rachel. In last month’s big Friends reunion, he appeared briefly via Zoom, because he could not be physically present due to his illness.
“They were the most memorable years of my life,” said James Michael Tyler of his time as an actor on the series. “It couldn’t have been a nicer experience”
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