James Michael Tyler, the actor who played Gunther on Friends, has died at 59

James Michael Tyler, the actor famous for playing Gunther, the manager of the fictional coffee shop Central Perk on 150 episodes of Friends, died Sunday. He was 59, and the cause of death was prostate cancer, a diagnosis he made public in June. Tyler died "peacefully in his home," longtime manager Toni Benson said in a statement. "The world knew him as Gunther the seventh 'Friend,' but Michael's loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.