‘Friends’ Stars React to Death of Gunther Actor James Michael Tyler
The cast of Friends is paying tribute to their co-star James Michael Tyler, who sadly passed away over the weekend after a battle with advanced prostate cancer. He was 59.
Tyler played Central Perk manager Gunther in the hit NBC sitcom. His beloved character was known for having an unrequited love for Jennifer Aniston‘s Rachel Green. He appeared in 148 of Friends‘ 236 episodes, becoming the show’s most frequently appearing recurring character.
Aniston took to Instagram on Sunday to share her tribute to Tyler, sharing a clip from the Friends finale where Gunther finally confesses his love for Rachel. “Friends would not have been the same without you,” she wrote. “Thank you for the laughter you brought to the show and to all of our lives. You will be so missed.”
The man who ended up with Rachel, David Schwimmer‘s Ross Geller, also paid respects to the late actor. “James, thank you for playing such a wonderful, unforgettable role in Friends and for being such a big hearted gentleman and all around mensch off screen,” Schwimmer wrote. “You will be missed, buddy.”
Courteney Cox, who played Monica Geller, also posted her own tribute to Tyler, writing, “The size of gratitude you brought into the room and showed every day on set is the size of the gratitude I hold for having known you. Rest In peace, James.”
Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe Buffay, added her condolences with a reference to the show’s iconic theme song. “James Michael Tyler, we will miss you. Thank you for being there for us all,” she wrote.
Meanwhile, Joey Tribbiani actor Matt LeBlanc shared a photo of himself on set with Tyler, along with the message, “We had a lot of laughs buddy. You will be missed. RIP my friend.”
Check out all the tributes below.
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Friends, Complete Series, Streaming, HBO Max
