James Michael Tylerhad a special set of skills to thank for landing him the part of Gunther onFriends.Tyler, whodied at age 59on Sunday, previously opened up toDigital Spyabout how his ability to work an espresso machine helped him get cast in the beloved sitcom.“I honestly always thought my Masters in fine arts would get me further in the acting world than knowing how to work an espresso machine,” he said in 2018. “That was a happy accident and I’m very, very grateful to have had that skill.“When Tyler booked the role onFriends, he was working atThe Bourgeois Pigin Hollywood. He remained an employee at the coffee shop for several years, even while appearing on the hit show.For more on James Michael Tyler and other top stories, listen below toour daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.“I kept my job at The Bourgeois Pig for the next four years. So I kept my day job, in other words, because I never knew if they were going to bring me back,” he toldBuzzFeed Newsin 2014.“But once Gunther was more established and they would have me on all week, not just one day a week, basically, I thought, okay, I don’t really have time for this. The Bourgeois Pig managers and owners said, ‘Honestly, you’re only here like one or two shifts,’ and there were other employees who were friends of mine,” he continued. “I loved it for the social aspect — it was like my way to see everybody in the neighborhood — but I’m like, I really should give these shifts up. Because it just didn’t seem right.“James Michael Tyler on Friends.Warner Bros. /EverettAnd even though his espresso machine knowledge got him the part, Tyler never actually had to make a beverage on set.“The espresso machine wasn’t plugged in because they can be kind of loud,” he revealed. “But that was a real antique coffee machine. I never actually made one coffee!“Tyler appeared on all 10 seasons of the NBC sitcom, which starredJennifer Aniston,Courteney Cox,Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc,David SchwimmerandMatthew Perry.While he wasn’t a primary cast member, Tyler was includedin a 2019 LEGOFriendsset. It featured the show’s iconic Central Perk coffee shop, where Tyler’s character was employed.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.James Michael Tyler.Anthony Harvey/GettyTyler died following his battle with stage 4 prostate cancer. He firstdisclosed his diagnosisin June, approximately three years after he began treatment in 2018.Tyler said his health struggles were what kept him from making an in-person appearance at theHBO MaxFriendsreunion special, which aired in May.“I wanted to be a part of that, and initially I was going to be on the stage, at least, with them, and be able to take part in all the festivities,” he said ontheTodayshowin June. “It was bittersweet, honestly. I was very happy to be included. 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?”
James Michael Tylerhad a special set of skills to thank for landing him the part of Gunther onFriends.
Tyler, whodied at age 59on Sunday, previously opened up toDigital Spyabout how his ability to work an espresso machine helped him get cast in the beloved sitcom.
“I honestly always thought my Masters in fine arts would get me further in the acting world than knowing how to work an espresso machine,” he said in 2018. “That was a happy accident and I’m very, very grateful to have had that skill.”
When Tyler booked the role onFriends, he was working atThe Bourgeois Pigin Hollywood. He remained an employee at the coffee shop for several years, even while appearing on the hit show.
For more on James Michael Tyler and other top stories, listen below toour daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.
“I kept my job at The Bourgeois Pig for the next four years. So I kept my day job, in other words, because I never knew if they were going to bring me back,” he toldBuzzFeed Newsin 2014.
“But once Gunther was more established and they would have me on all week, not just one day a week, basically, I thought, okay, I don’t really have time for this. The Bourgeois Pig managers and owners said, ‘Honestly, you’re only here like one or two shifts,’ and there were other employees who were friends of mine,” he continued. “I loved it for the social aspect — it was like my way to see everybody in the neighborhood — but I’m like, I really should give these shifts up. Because it just didn’t seem right.”
James Michael Tyler on Friends.Warner Bros. /Everett
And even though his espresso machine knowledge got him the part, Tyler never actually had to make a beverage on set.
“The espresso machine wasn’t plugged in because they can be kind of loud,” he revealed. “But that was a real antique coffee machine. I never actually made one coffee!”
Tyler appeared on all 10 seasons of the NBC sitcom, which starredJennifer Aniston,Courteney Cox,Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc,David SchwimmerandMatthew Perry.
While he wasn’t a primary cast member, Tyler was includedin a 2019 LEGOFriendsset. It featured the show’s iconic Central Perk coffee shop, where Tyler’s character was employed.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
James Michael Tyler.Anthony Harvey/Getty
Tyler died following his battle with stage 4 prostate cancer. He firstdisclosed his diagnosisin June, approximately three years after he began treatment in 2018.
Tyler said his health struggles were what kept him from making an in-person appearance at theHBO MaxFriendsreunion special, which aired in May.
“I wanted to be a part of that, and initially I was going to be on the stage, at least, with them, and be able to take part in all the festivities,” he said ontheTodayshowin June. “It was bittersweet, honestly. I was very happy to be included. 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?”
source: people.com
