Overview (2)

Mini Bio (1)

James Michael Tyler was born in Mississippi. The youngest of five children, he was raised by a retired Air Force captain and a homemaker. At age 11, he moved to Anderson, South Carolina to live with his sister. A Tiger fan, he enrolled at Clemson University and majored in Geology. While getting his B.S., Tyler joined the Clemson Players and found a love of theatre and started acting. He went on to receive an MFA in Acting from the University of Georgia. Tyler then moved to Los Angeles, after a brief stint selling cars in Olympia, WA. Upon arriving in Hollywood, he worked in both the service and entertainment industries. He was a bar-back at the Palace, sold keyboards at Guitar Center, and was a barista at the Bourgeois Pig. He also worked his way up as an extra and production assistant. Ultimately, Tyler gained acclaim playing the role of Gunther in Friends.



When not acting, Tyler likes to play Rocket League on PS4 and record music in his home studio. He's a founding member, along with Keith King, of the collaborative improvisational band Red Felt Pig. Tyler prefers to be called by his middle name, Michael. He lives in Hollywood with his wife Jenn and their leopard gecko, Rodni.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: JMT

Spouse (2)

Barbara Ruth Chadsey (1995 - 5 November 2014) ( divorced) Jennifer Carno (? - present)

Trade Mark (2)

His bleach-blonde hair



Deep Baritone voice



Trivia (6)



Ended up with the role of Gunther on Friends (1994) because he worked at a coffee shop as a barista and was asked if he would be interested in being an extra on the show working behind the counter. He was the only one who knew how to properly work the cappuccino machine.

He attended Clemson University and graduated with a degree in Geology. He earned his Masters in Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Georgia.



When he was 11, his parents died and he moved to Anderson, South Carolina, to live with his sister.



He attended T. L. Hanna High School in Anderson which is the same school in the movie "Radio" starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ed Harris.



Tyler's signature peroxide blonde hair was actually accidental. The day before the Friends audition, one of Tyler's acquaintances, who studied to become a hairdresser, experimented on his hair. When Tyler showed up for the audition, the producer liked it so much they decided to keep it.



Son of Dewitt Eugene Tyler (July 21, 1917-April 13, 1973) and Mary Sue Pullen (April 9, 1922-November 28, 1973). His father died from injuries received in an auto accident, and his mother died of breast cancer. He went to live with his sister Linda, in Anderson, South Carolina after their deaths.

