Tyler (photo), who received the diagnosis back in 2018, talked about his fight against cancer to Today. He confirmed that his cancer was in a late stage and that it had spread to his bones and spine, which resulted in paralysis of his lower body. So eventually, you know, it's gonna probably get me", he said. "All I had to do was take a pill in the morning and the night, and boom, life was pretty much normal," Tyler told Craig Melvin. He said that the cancer mutated right at the time the Corona pandemic hit.
Back in 1994, he joined the cast of Friends, where he portrayed Gunther, a barista at Central Perk who had a huge crush on Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). He appeared in more than 50 episodes of the popular sitcom. Gunther was often considered to be the unofficial seventh friend.
Tyler had a virtual appearance during the HBO Max reunion of the show, which aired back in May. "James was a genuinly kind, sweet man", the Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane said in a statement. Adding: "When he started as an extra on 'Friends,' his unique spirit caught our eye and we knew we had to make him a character. He made Gunther’s unrequited love incredibly relatable. Our heart goes out to his wife, Jennifer Carno.”
Tyler also featured in Modern Music, Just Shoot Me!, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Scrubs and Episodes.
James Michael Tyler became 59 years old, R.I.P.