Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and More Friends Stars Honor James Michael Tyler After His Death

Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc were among the Friends actors to pay tribute to their late co-star James Michael Tyler, who passed away on Oct. 24 after battling cancer.

By Jess Cohen Oct 25, 2021 11:19 AMTags
Watch: "Friends" Star James Michael Tyler Dead at 59

The Friends family is mourning the loss of a beloved member.

On Oct. 24, actor James Michael Tyler—who played Gunther on the hit TV series—passed away "peacefully" at his home in Los Angeles after battling prostate cancer, his manager confirmed in a statement to E! News. He was 59.

After news of his death emerged, Tyler's former co-stars took to social media to pay tribute to him. "Friends would not have been the same without you," Jennifer Aniston wrote on Instagram alongside a clip from the show. "Thank you for the laughter you brought to the show and to all of our lives. You will be so missed #JamesMichaelTyler."

Courteney Cox also shared a message to Tyler on Instagram. "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," she captioned a photo of the actor. "Rest In peace James."

photos
Celebrity Deaths: 2021's Fallen Stars

Lisa Kudrow also thanked Tyler for "being there for all of us." While Matt LeBlanc recalled sharing "a lot of laughs" with Tyler. "You will be missed," he wrote on Instagram. "RIP my friend."

David Schwimmer also paid tribute to Tyler and his beloved Friends character. "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 captioned his Instagram post. "You will be missed, buddy. #JamesMichaelTyler."

NBCU Photo Bank

Tyler, who was first diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in Sept. 2018, shared his health news publicly in a June interview on Today.

"For my specific prognosis, it's of course stage 4," he told Today's Craig Melvin. "Late stage cancer. So eventually, you know, it's gonna probably get me. I missed going in for a test, which was not a good thing. So the cancer decided to mutate at the time of the pandemic, and so it's progressed."

"There are other options available to men if they catch it before me," he shared. "Next time you go in for just a basic exam or your yearly checkup, please ask your doctor for a PSA test. It's easily detectable."

Tyler is survived by his wife, Jennifer Carno.

Latest News