Gunther is no more: Samantha Prabhu, Kareena & Anushka heartbroken after 'Friends' actor's death

The death of actor James Michael Tyler, who is best known for his role of the Central Perk barista Gunther on the popular sitcom "Friends", has left the entire world in mourning. The 59-year-old actor passed away after a long battle with stage four prostate cancer.

B-town actresses Kareena Kapoor Khan and Anushka Sharma, and 'The Family Man 2' star Samantha Ruth Prabhu took to Instagram Story to react to Tyler's sudden demise.


Without using many words, the three celebrities shared the same emotion - heartbroken.

Tyler got his first dialogue and his character a name after two seasons and 33 appearances, according to Saul Austerlitz's 2019 book, 'Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era'.

Tyler went on to star in 150 of the 236 episodes of the show, from the second installment that first aired in September 1994 to 'The Last One' on May 6, 2004.

In an interview with Today in June, Tyler revealed he was diagnosed with the disease in September 2018 after a routine check-up.

"I was 56 years old at the time, and they screen for PSA, which is prostate-specific antigen. That came back at an extraordinarily high number... so I knew immediately when I went online and I saw the results of my blood test and blood work that there was obviously something quite wrong there.

"Nearly immediately, my doctor called me and said, 'Hey, I need you to come in tomorrow because I suspect that you may have quite a serious problem with your prostate'," he had said.

Tyler, who made a brief appearance on the "Friends" reunion special via Zoom in May, said he chose not to reveal his diagnosis during the event but was "happy to be included" in all the festivities.

"It was bittersweet, honestly... It was my decision not to be a part of that physically and make an appearance on Zoom, basically, because I didn't wanna bring a downer on it, you know? I didn't want to be like, 'Oh, and by the way, Gunther has cancer'," he had said in the interview with Today.

Tyler, who made a brief appearance on the "Friends" reunion special via Zoom in May, said he chose not to reveal his diagnosis during the event but was "happy to be included" in all the festivities.