James Michael Tyler was an American actor. He was famous for his role as ‘Gunther’ in the superhit American television sitcom ‘Friends’ (1994–2004).
Contents
Wiki/Biography
James Michael Tyler was born on Monday, May 28, 1962 (Age 59 years; at the time of death), Greenwood, Mississippi, US. In. His zodiac sign is Gemini. He was named after his uncle. His hometown is in Winona, Mississippi. Following the death of his parents, at the age of 12, Tyler moved to Anderson, South Carolina with his sister. He did his schooling from TL Hanna High School, Anderson. He graduated from Anderson University (then Anderson College) in 1982 with a two-year degree. In 1984, he received his degree in geology from Clemson University, South Carolina. At Clemson, he was part of a college theater group called The Clemson Players. In 1987, he received an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degree in acting from the University of Georgia.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 11″
Eye colour: blue
Hair Colour: Brown
Family
parents and siblings
He was the son of DeWitt Eugene Tyler and Mary Sue Pullen. His father was an Air Force pilot in World War II, and after returning from military service, he was elected as sheriff of Anderson County. At the age of 10, he lost his father on 13 April 1973, who died of injuries sustained in an auto accident. His father was working as a sales representative for the Illinois Molding Company before his death. Prior to this, he was associated with JA Olson Company for 18 years, working as a sales manager there.
father of james michael tyler
On 28 November 1973, at the age of 11, she lost her mother to breast cancer. Both his parents belonged to the Methodist Church. He had three brothers and sisters and was the youngest among them. He had a brother named Captain John DeWitt Tyler Tommy Tyler, who served at Columbus Air Force Base and died in 2019. She had two sisters named Linda Clark and Brenda Keenan.
Wife
In 1995, Tyler married Barbara Chadsey. In 2014, the couple filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. He later married Jennifer Carno.
James Michael Tyler with Jennifer Karno
livelihood
In 1988, he moved to Los Angeles to begin his career in the film industry. He became a production assistant on the American film ‘Fat Man and Little Boy’ (1989). He also worked as an assistant film editor before getting acting roles.
movies
In 1992, he made his debut as a ‘Bar Patron’ in the American short film ‘The Roommate’.
He made his feature film debut as ‘Oscar Bevins’ in the American film ‘Motel Blue’ (1997).
James Michael Tyler in Motel Blue (1997)
He later appeared in the American feature films The Disturbance at Dinner (1998), Foreign Correspondents (1999) and Jason’s Big Problem (2009). He also appeared in the American short films Live with It (2008), Processing (2020), and The Gesture and the Word (2020).
Television
He also starred in the American series ‘Just Shoot Me!’ Made her television debut in . (2000) as a doctor.
He then appeared in the television series Sabrina the Teenage Witch (2001). He rose to prominence in the American series ‘Friends’ (1994–2004) with his recurring role as ‘Gunther’, a barista at Central Perk who is known for his secret intense love for Rachel Green (played by Jennifer Aniston). In several interviews, he confessed that he got the role of ‘Gunther’ because he previously worked as a barista, and the show producers asked him if he would be interested in becoming an extra for the show. He took up this role due to financial problems, but with time his role gained prominence. As the show progressed, he became a playable character in the series. Talking about his selection for the role in an interview, he said,
I was actually working as a barista at the Bourgeois Pig in LA. He (the assistant director of Friends) knew I was working there, and there was a coffee shop set, Central Perk, so he called me up and asked if I wanted to come in, because they had an espresso machine on the set. . Of course, I’ve never had to make actual espresso in those 10 years, because it’s too strong, but I’ve had experience with it before.
James Michael Tyler in Friends (1994)
He then appeared in the series Scrubs (2005) and Episodes (2012). In 2010, he appeared as ‘Chase’ in the television short ‘Keeping Up with the Downs’.
In 2013, he appeared in his first lead role as ‘Chad Levitz’ in the American TV series ‘Modern Music’.
In 2021, he guest-starred in the TV special ‘Friends: The Reunion’, in which the main cast of Friends revisited the set of the original show, meeting guests, doing table readings and re-enacting Friends episodes.
Other work
He voiced several characters in the 2005 video game ‘Friends: The One with All the Trivia’.
In 2007, he appeared in British musician Chicken’s music video ‘Come Tomorrow’.
He was a founding member of the collaborative improvisational band Red Felt Pig with Keith King.
Favorite
- Actresses: Connie Stevens, Sylvia Sidney
- Baseball Team: Chicago Cubs
- Video Game: Rocket League
Death
He died peacefully at his home in Los Angeles on October 24, 2021. In 2018, Tyler was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer which later spread to his bones.
Facts/General Knowledge
- In his free time he enjoys traveling, playing video games, recording music, and photography.
- Before moving to Los Angeles, Tyler sold cars in Olympia, Washington. After coming to Hollywood, he worked in both the service and entertainment industries to earn his living. He bar-tended at the Hollywood Palace, sold keyboards at Guitar Center and was a barista at the Bourgeois Pig.
- Tyler is famously remembered for his blonde hair on the show ‘Friends’ which, according to him, was actually accidental. The day before the Friends audition, one of Tyler’s acquaintances, who was studying to be a hairdresser, experimented on his hair. The show producers liked it so much in the audition that they decided to keep the same look for ‘Gunther’.
- For the 15th anniversary of Friends in 2009, Tyler launched a temporary Central Perk replica in London, where fans could buy tickets to receive free coffee and see memorabilia from the show. The replica was opened for two weeks from September to October. At the 20th anniversary of Friends in 2014, Tyler appeared at a Central Perk replica in SoHo, Manhattan.
- He is an active philanthropist and supports the Lili Claire Foundation (which provides programs and services to children suffering from neurogenic birth conditions) and AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA; a non-profit HIV services organization in the United States).
- Tyler received the Birmingham Film Festival – Best Actor Male award in 2020 for the short film ‘The Gesture and the Word’.
- In 2021, Tyler revealed that he was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. Since being diagnosed with cancer in 2018, he went for hormone therapy, which worked well for a year, but eventually, it spread to his bones and spine, causing paraplegia or paralysis in the lower body. Talking about this in an interview he said,
I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, which had spread to my bones. I have been dealing with that diagnosis for almost the last three years. …This is stage 4 (now). End stage cancer. So eventually, you know, I’ll probably get it.”
- Tyler prefers to be called by his middle name, Michael.
- Tyler is fond of animals and has a pet dog and a pet cat.
James Tyler talks about his pet dog in an Instagram post
Categories: Biography
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