FRIENDS actor James Michael Tyler aka Gunther passes away at 59 after battling cancer

James Michael Tyler, the iconic actor who gained fame for his stellar performance in the TV sitcom, Friends, recently passed away at the age of 59. 

James Michael Tyler made a revelation a couple of months ago that he had been battling stage 4 prostate cancer for three years and stated that it was detected during a routine health check-up. 

James Michael Tyler passed away at 59

Warner Bros recently took to their official Twitter handle and shared a picture of James Michael Tyler revealing that the actor had passed away. In the note, they also added how Warner Bros Television was mourning the loss of a beloved actor and integral part of their FRIENDS family and stated that their thoughts were with his family, friends, colleagues and fans. 

Tyler's family also released a statement informing the fans and friends about his demise and stated how the world knew him as Gunther but his loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband. It was also stated how James Michael Tyler loved live music cheering on his Clemson Tigers, and would often find himself in fun and unplanned adventures and added that if anyone met him once, he would have made a friend for life. The statement read- 

“The world knew him as Gunther … 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.”

James attended the Friends: Reunion in May via Zoom due to his health issues and spoke about his journey in the show stating how it was the most memorable 10 years of his life. He also spoke about his co-stars from the series and added that they were fantastic and a joy to work with. Tyler even stated that the reason behind keeping his cancer a secret all this while was because he didn't want people to think, "Oh, and by the way, Gunther has cancer.”

James Michael Tyler was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 and he informed everyone in an interview with NBC on 22 June 2021. The actor revealed this information through his official Instagram handle after he posted a photo of himself after his chemotherapy session. He even thanked all his fans for outpouring love and support and added that it meant the world to him. 

Image: AP