Courteney Cox shares emotional tribute to Friends costar James Michael Tyler

On Oct. 24, the Friends family suffered an unmeasurable loss with the death of James Michael Tyler at the age of 59 following a three-year battle with cancer.

For 10 seasons and nearly 150 episodes, Tyler played the beloved seventh friend in bringing to life Central Perk barista Gunther — a frequent scene-stealer who first debuted in the second episode of the series and remained a part of the show until the series finale.

While Gunther was not part of the core group of friends on the show, a bit that became a running gag on the series, he was incredibly beloved by both Friends fans and his castmates. Following his passing, tributes have been pouring in from fans and his colleagues including star Courteney Cox, who took to Instagram late Sunday night to remember her late co-star via an emotional tribute.

Courteney Cox tribute to James Michael Tyler

As news of James Michael Tyler’s passing spread, tributes from his friends and costars quickly began to flood social media. Among those who took to Instagram to honor the late actor was Friends actress Courteney Cox, who shared many scenes with Tyler over the years through her role as Monica Geller.

Accompanied by a photo of Tyler on set in character as Gunther, Cox shared a moving tribute in which she championed the immense gratitude Tyler brought to the show every day he was on set.

“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. Rest In peace James,” Cox wrote of her late costar.

Tyler first opened up about his battle with cancer shortly after the HBO Max Friends reunion aired, urging individuals to get routine check-ups and prostate exams as part of his efforts to raise awareness for the disease.