Friends stars Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox have led tributes to actor James Michael Tyler who has died aged 59.

The actor passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 24, at his LA home after battling stage 4 prostate cancer.

The star was beloved by millions of fans for his portrayal of Gunther, the quirky coffee shop manager with bleached hair and an unrequited love for Aniston's character Rachel Green.

Since the sad news of his death came to light, tributes have been pouring in from fans and celebrities alike.

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Heartbroken Aniston shared a clip of herself and the actor in the final episode of Friends when Gunther declares his love for Rachel.

"Friends would not have been the same without you," she wrote in the post’s caption.

"Thank you for the laughter you brought to the show and to all of our lives. You will be so missed."

Meanwhile, Cox, who played Monica Geller, shared a picture of Tyler alongside the caption: "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."

Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey Tribbiani in Friends, shared a picture of the pair on the set, writing: "We had a lot of laughs buddy. You will be missed. RIP my friend."

Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe Buffay in the hit show, wrote: "James Michael Tyler, we will miss you. Thank you for being there for us all. #jamesmichealtyler"

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Friends producer Kevin Bright also paid tribute, writing on Twitter: "James Michael Tyler Our Gunther passed away last night. He was an incredible person who spent his final days helping others. God bless you James, Gunther lives forever."

Tyler's family also paid tribute to the actor, writing: "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."

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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.

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In an interview with People, 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.

"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".

Featured image credit: Matt Crossick / Alamy

'Friends' stars pay emotional tribute to 'Gunther' as James Michael Tyler dies aged 59