James Michael Tyler's Net Worth: How Much Was The Friends Star Worth When He Died?
James Michael Tyler, the actor best known to millions across the globe as the bright haired Central Perk coffee barista Gunther in "Friends," died from prostate cancer on October 24.
His "Friends" co-stars took to social media to pay tribute, all touchingly sharing the same photo of the actor in character with the iconic Central Perk set in the background. Rachel Green actor Jennifer Aniston shared it on Instagram with a classic scene from the sitcom, writing in the caption, "'Friends' would not have been the same without you. Thank you for the laughter you brought to the show and to all of our lives."
Courteney Cox, who played Monica Geller, also shared the snap on Instagram, writing, "The size of gratitude you brought into the room and showed every day on set is the size of the gratitude I hold for having known you." Joey Tribbiani actor Matt LeBlanc posted it with a screencap from the show, telling the late star, "We had a lot of laughs buddy. You will be missed."
David Schwimmer, aka Ross Geller, thanked the actor on Instagram "for playing such a wonderful, unforgettable role in 'Friends; and for being such a big hearted gentleman and all around mensch off screen," while Phoebe Buffay's Lisa Kudrow wrote, "James Michael Tyler, we will miss you. Thank you for being there for us all."
Of course, the show made its main stars multi-millionaires, but how much was Tyler worth at the time of his death?
James Michael Tyler's money
James Michael Tyler was reported to be worth $4 million at the time of his death, according to Celebrity Net Worth, with much of that thought to have come from his role on "Friends." The outlet claimed he made $30,000 for appearing in the first season of the mega hit show, which was around $5,000 an episode. Not bad!
That figure was reportedly doubled by the time Season 2 came around though, with Tyler reportedly earning $160,000 for the second season at $10,000 per episode he popped up in. That figure kept on increasing until he was making $40,000 an episode from Season 6 and beyond (the actor appeared in all 10 seasons of the classic sitcom).
In his final years in particular, Tyler was all about giving back. The actor worked closely with the Prostate Cancer Foundation as he dealt with his own diagnosis and released a more than seven minute long spoken word performance of the Stephen Kalinich's poem "If You Knew" in 2016, which aimed to raise awareness for the non-profit.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation described Tyler as a "friend," "supporter," and "advocate," in a tribute following his death. Donations to the cause can be made in the late actor's memory via his Prostate Cancer Foundation memorial page.
We're sending all our thoughts to Tyler's friends and family.