James Michael Tyler, who was best known for playing Gunther on the hit show Friends, has died at the age of 59, the actor's rep told TMZ.
It was reported that he passed away peacefully on Sunday morning at his LA home after battling stage 4 prostate cancer.
Paying tribute to the actor, his family said: "The world knew him as Gunther (the seventh Friend), from the hit series Friends, but Michael’s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband."
The actor first spoke about his diagnosis on June 21, revealing he had been receiving treatment for nearly three years. In the interview, he stated that he had been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer back in 2018.
James, who shot to worldwide fame playing coffee shop worker Gunther, later revealed that the cancer had spread to his spine. The actor's manager and friend, Toni Benson, explained at the time that the star had been paralyzed as a result of this.
In an interview with People magazine, Benson spoke about James' determination to survive, stating: "He's going to fight this. Lately, he's been having amazing days. He's done his second round of chemo and so far he is doing really well, and he's hopeful it will be effective."
Benson added: "Though he's wheelchair-bound, he's very mobile. He has the most amazing attitude. I don't think he's going anywhere for a long time."
The actor shared that his illness had been made manageable by treatment for some time, stating:
"All I had to do was take a pill in the morning and the night, and boom, life was pretty much normal [...] I had no symptoms, I didn't feel any symptoms. And it was very easy to regulate."
However, he explained that the cancer had since mutated, and concluded the interview by calling for more men to request a PSA test when they next visit their doctor, as it would make any signs of cancer "easily detectible".
Our thoughts are with James' friends, family, and fans at this difficult time.
