Tributes are being paid to Friends actor James Michael Tyler following his death at age 59.
Tyler passed away Sunday morning (October 24) at his home in Los Angeles, the BBC reports. He revealed in June that he was receiving treatment for stage four prostate cancer.
After joining Friends as an extra, Tyler went on to appear in 150 episodes as Gunther, a barista at the Central Perk coffee shop who later becomes its manager. In time, it becomes apparent that Gunther has an unrequited crush on Jennifer Aniston’s character, Rachel.
In a statement to CNN, the show’s co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane said: "When he started as an extra on Friends, his unique spirit caught our eye and we knew we had to make him a character. He made Gunther's unrequited love incredibly relatable. Our heart goes out to his wife, Jennifer Carno."
Paying tribute to Tyler on Instagram, Aniston shared a clip of their touching moment from the very last Friends episode in 2004, when Gunther finally reveals his true feelings for Rachel.

(Photo: Instagram)
Away from Friends, Tyler’s TV appearances included guest roles in Scrubs, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Episodes, in which he reunited with his Friends co-star Matt LeBlanc. Paying tribute on Instagram, LeBlanc wrote: "We had a lot of laughs buddy. You will be missed. RIP my friend."

(Photo: Instagram)
Tyler also reunited with his castmates on this year’s HBO Max special Friends: The Reunion. He told Today in June that he decided to appear via Zoom rather than in person owing to his health. 
Rest in Peace, James Michael Tyler, and thank you for your contribution.