James Michael Tyler

James Michael Tyler was born in Mississippi. The youngest of five children, he was raised by a retired United States Air Force captain father and a homemaker mother. At age 11, he moved to Anderson, South Carolina to live with his sister. A Tigers 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. After a brief stint selling cars in Olympia, WA, he moved to Los Angeles, CA. 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 liked to play Rocket League on PS4 and record music in his home studio. He was a founding member, along with Keith King, of the collaborative improvisational band "Red Felt Pig". Tyler preferred to be called by his middle name, Michael. He lived in Hollywood with his wife Jenn and their leopard gecko, Rodni.