James Michael Tyler

James Michael Tyler (born May 28, 1962) is an American actor best known for his role as Gunther on the NBC sitcom Friends.[1]

James Michael Tyler
Born (1962-05-28) May 28, 1962
Greenwood, Mississippi, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1994–present
Notable credit(s)
Gunther in Friends (1994–2004)
Spouse(s)
Barbara Chadsey
​
​
(m. 1995; div. 2014)​

Early life

James Michael Tyler was born the youngest of five children on May 28, 1962 in Greenwood, Mississippi. He was named after his uncle. Tyler's hometown was Winona, Mississippi. When he was 10 years old his father died, and when he was 11 years old, his mother died. At age 12, Tyler moved to Anderson, South Carolina to live with his sister. He graduated from Anderson College (now Anderson University) with a two-year degree in 1982 and Clemson University with a degree in geology in 1984. During his time at Clemson, he was a member of a student theatre group, the Clemson Players. This experience sparked his interest in becoming an actor. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Georgia in 1987.

In 1988 he moved to Los Angeles and became a production assistant for Fat Man and Little Boy and an assistant film editor. He supports the Lili Claire Foundation and AIDS Project L.A charities. Tyler currently lives in Hollywood.

In 1995, Tyler married Barbara Chadsey. In 2014, he filed for divorce, citing "Irreconcilable differences".[2]

Career

From 1994 to 2004, James Michael Tyler played Gunther on the sitcom Friends. Gunther was a coffee shop worker at Central Perk who had unrequited love for Rachel Green, played by Jennifer Aniston. This led to a ten-year career with appearances in 148 of Friends' 236 episodes; he is the show's most-frequently-appearing guest star.

In honour of Friends' 15th anniversary in 2009, Tyler officially opened the temporary Central Perk pop up replica in London. It was open for two weeks from September to October and fans could apply for tickets to receive a free coffee and see memorabilia from the show.[3] He appeared in the unaired pilot satire sitcom Nobody's Watching, playing himself on the set of Central Perk.

In honour of Friends' 20th anniversary in 2014, Tyler made appearances at a Central Perk replica in SoHo.[4]

Tyler appeared in the BBC/Showtime sitcom Episodes (Series 2, Episode 6) as himself playing an ice hockey coach, when Matt LeBlanc tries unsuccessfully to get the other main stars from Friends to appear in the promotional video for the fictional television show Pucks.

Filmography

Film
  • The Disturbance at Dinner as Wilson Pomade (1998)
  • Foreign Correspondents as Randy (1999)
  • Motel Blue as Oscar Bevins (1999)
  • Jason's Big Problem as Blaine (2010)

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1994–2004 Friends Gunther Recurring role, 148 episodes
2000 Just Shoot Me! Doctor Episode: "Donnie Returns"
2001 Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Ethan Episode: "My Best Shot"
2005 Scrubs Therapist Episode: "My Faith in Humanity"
2012 Iron Chef America Morimoto/Flay VS. Sakai/Batali
2012 Episodes Himself Episode Six, Season Two
2013 Modern Music Chad Levitz Main role

Music video

References
  1. "James Michael Tyler". The New York Times.
  2. "Former 'Friends' actor files for divorce". San Francisco Chronicle. March 6, 2014. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  3. Thorley, Chantelle (September 15, 2009). "London to celebrate 15 years of Friends with Central Perk pop-up". Event. Archived from the original on April 10, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  4. Locker, Melissa (September 16, 2014). "Central Perk From Friends Is Now a Real Place, and Gunther Is There". Time. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
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