James Michael Tyler
| James Michael Tyler | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 28, 1962 Winona, Mississippi, United States |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1994-present |
James Michael Tyler (born May 28, 1962) is an American actor best known for his role as Gunther on the NBC sitcom Friends.
Biography
James Michael Tyler was born the youngest of six children on May 28, 1962 in Winona, Mississippi to a retired Air Force captain and a homemaker. When he was 11 years old, his parents died and Tyler moved to Anderson, South Carolina to live with his sister. He studied at Clemson University and graduated with a degree in geology. During this time, 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 is married to a personal trainer named Barbara and both are currently living in Hollywood. Tyler plays the keyboard in his studio at home and writes music. He also enjoys playing tennis, golf, and jogging. He was set to appear in a new pilot entitled "The Valentines" in late 2010.[1]
As Gunther
From 1994 to 2004 James Michael Tyler played Gunther on the hit NBC sitcom Friends. Gunther was a coffee shop worker at Central Perk who had unrequited love for Rachel Green, played by Jennifer Aniston. Tyler, originally a nameless extra, was cast as Gunther because he was the only extra who knew how to operate an espresso machine, having worked in several coffee shops before getting into acting. 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 honor of Friends' 15th anniversary in 2009, Tyler opened to the public a Central Perk replica in Carnaby Street, London, open for two weeks from September to October.[2] He appeared in the unaired pilot satire sitcom Nobody's Watching, playing himself as a present from the studio executives on the set of Central Perk.
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)
- Live With It as Andrew (2008)
- Jason's Big Problem as Blaine (2010)
Television
- 1994-2004: Friends as Gunther (Recurring role / 131 episodes)
- Just Shoot Me! as a Doctor (2000)
- Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as Ethan (2001)
- Scrubs as Therapist (2005)
- Iron Chef America - Morimoto/Flay VS. Sakai/Batali
- iCarly Agent
- Episodes as himself
- Anger Management as Mark
Music Video
- Chicane (recording artist) Come Tomorrow
References
- ↑ http://allseriesmag.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/james-michael-tyler-se-une-a-the-valentines/
- ↑ Thorley, Chantelle (September 15, 2009). "London to celebrate 15 years of Friends with Central Perk pop-up". Event (Haymarket Media). Retrieved September 22, 2009.