James Michael Tyler Height, Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Bio/Wiki
Profession	Actor
Famous Role	'Gunther' in the popular American television sitcom 'Friends' (1994-2004)
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters- 180 cm in meters- 1.80 m in feet inches- 5’ 11”
Eye Color	Blue
Hair Color	Brown
Career
Debut	Short Film: The Roommate (1992) as 'Bar Patron' Feature Film: Motel Blue (1997) as 'Oscar Bevins' TV: Just Shoot Me! (2000) as a doctor
Personal Life
Date of Birth	May 28, 1962 (Monday)
Age (as in 2021)	59 Years
Birthplace	Greenwood, Mississippi, US
Zodiac sign	Gemini
Nationality	American
Hometown	Winona, Mississippi, US
School	T. L. Hanna High School, Anderson, US
College/University	• Anderson University (then Anderson College) • Clemson University • University of Georgia
Educational Qualification(s)	• A two-year degree from Anderson University (1982) • A degree in Geology from Clemson University (1984) ^[1]James Michael Tyler - Instagram • MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in Acting from University of Georgia ^[2]MovieWeb
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Marriage Date	First Marriage: Year 1995
Divorce Date	First Marriage: Year 2014
Family
Wife/Spouse	• First Wife: Barbara Chadsey • Second Wife: Jennifer Carno
Parents	Father- Dewitt Eugene Tyler (Air Force Pilot in World War II, Sheriff of Anderson County, Sales Manager of J. A. Olson Company for eighteen years, and Sales Representative for Illinois Molding Company) Mother- Mary Sue Pullen
Siblings	Brother- Captain John Dewitt Tyler Tommy Tyler (Columbus Air Force Base; died in 2019) Sister(s)- Linda Clark & Brenda Keenan
Favorite Things
Actress(es)	Connie Stevens, Sylvia Sidney
Sport	Baseball
Baseball Team	Chicago Cubs
Band	Three Mile Pilot
Video Game	Rocket League

Some Lesser Known Facts About James Michael Tyler

James Michael Tyler is an American actor. He is best known for playing the part of ‘Gunther’ in the superhit American television sitcom ‘Friends’ (1994-2004).

His name, James Michael, was kept after his uncle.

His parents were followers of Methodism. ^[3]Find a Grave

When he was ten, his father died of injuries in an auto accident (on April 13, 1973). When he was eleven, his mother succumbed to breast cancer (on November 28, 1973). After the death of his parents, he shifted with his sister (Linda) to Anderson, South Carolina.

Before 1988, he worked as a car seller in Olympia, Washington, US. He then moved to Hollywood, Los Angeles, in 1988, working in the service and entertainment industries at the same time. In Hollywood, he was employed as a bar-back at the Hollywood Palace, a keyboards seller at the Guitar Center, and a barista at the Bourgeois Pig. Simultaneously, he worked as an assistant film editor in the American film industry.

In 1989, he worked as a production assistant in the American film ‘Fat Man and Little Boy.’

After working in a couple of small roles in the American TV series and films, he bagged a role in the American television sitcom ‘Friends’ (1994-2004). In the series, James plays ‘Gunther,’ a barista at Central Perk who loves Rachel Green (played by Jennifer Aniston) secretly. James has confessed in many interviews that due to his previous experience as a barista, he was able to bag the role of ‘Gunther.’ The role that was designated as an extra at the beginning, and he agreed to play it due to financial constraints. However, his character gained more popularity as the show progressed, adding prominence to his character in the latter half of the show. Talking about his selection for the role in an interview, he said,

I was actually working in L.A. as a barista at the Bourgeois Pig. He (assistant director of Friends) knew I was working there, and that there was the coffee shop set, Central Perk, so he called me and asked if I would like to come in, because they had an espresso machine on the set. Of course, I never had to make any real espressos in those 10 years, because it’s so loud, but I did have experience before that.”

He is mostly remembered for his blond hair in Friends, which was actually an accidental hairstyle given to him by one of his acquaintances. The acquaintance was studying hairdressing and experimented on James’ hair the day before auditions for the show. The makers of the show liked James’ hair so much in the auditions that they decided to keep the look on him for the entirety of the show.

James acted in small roles in the American films The Disturbance at Dinner (1998), Foreign Correspondents (1999), and Jason’s Big Problem (2009).

In 2001, Tyler was seen playing a minor role in the television series ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch.’

In 2005, he was featured in the video game ‘Friends: The One with All the Trivia’ in which he voiced several characters.

James played supporting roles in the American TV series Scrubs (2005) and Episodes (2012).

In 2007, Tyler starred in the British musician Chicane’s music video of ‘Come Tommorow.’

Tyler was also seen acting in the American shorts Live with It (2008), Processing (2020), and The Gesture and The Word (2020).

In 2010, he played the supporting role of ‘Chase’ in the American television short film ‘Keeping Up with the Downs.’

In 2013, Tyler appeared in his first main role as ‘Chad Levitz’ in the American TV series ‘Modern Music.’

On Friends’ 15th anniversary in 2009, James opened a temporary Central Perk replica in London from September to October for two weeks. The replica was made for Freinds’ fans, who could buy tickets to have free coffee and see memorabilia from the show. On Friends’ 20th anniversary in 2014, Tyler showed up the Central Perk replica in SoHo, Manhattan.

James is a founding member of the collaborative improvisational band Red Felt Pig. He founded it with Keith King.

A philanthropist, James supports Lili Claire Foundation, a non-profit organization working to provide programs and services to children suffering from neurogenic birth conditions. James also supports AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), one of the largest non-profit HIV service organizations in the United States.

Tyler received the Best Actor Male Award for his performance in the short film ‘The Gesture and The Word’ at the Birmingham Film Festival 2020.

In 2021, he showed up as a guest in the TV special ‘Friends: The Reunion,’ where the main cast of Friends revisited the sets of Friends, met with guests, did table reads, and re-enacted Friends’ episodes.

In 2021, he publicly confessed to being a metastatic prostate cancer patient. After being diagnosed with the disease in 2018, he underwent hormone therapy that worked out well for a year. With time, cancer spread to his bones and spine, which led to paraplegia (paralysis of the lower body). Talking about it in an interview, he said,

I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, which had spread to my bones. I’ve been dealing with that diagnosis for almost the past three years. … It’s stage 4 (now). Late-stage cancer. So eventually, you know, it’s gonna probably get me.”

Whenever he is free, he travels, plays video games, records music, and does photography.

James Michael Tyler loves animals and frequently posts their pictures on his Instagram account. He has a pet dog and a pet cat.
James Tyler talking about his pet cat in an Instagram post