James Michael Tyler was born in Winona, Mississippi on May 28. The youngest of five children, he was raised by a retired Air Force captain and a homemaker. At age 11, his parents died and he moved to Anderson, South Carolina to live with his sister. Tyler enrolled at Clemson University as a geology major and earned a bachelor of arts degree. He moved to Los Angeles in 1988 and became a production assistant for "Fat Man and Little Boy" and later became an assistant apprentice film editor. He also worked as an extra and practiced music on the keyboard.

When not working, Tyler practices the keyboard in his studio at home and writes music. He enjoys playing tennis, golf, and jogging. He is active in the Lili Claire Foundation and AIDS Project L.A charities. James Michael Tyler and his wife Barbara, a personal trainer, live in Hollywood.

((Information from NBC.com))


Ended up with the role of Gunther on "Friends" (1994) because he was the only extra who could work the cappuchino machine. When he was 11, his parents died and he moved to Anderson, South Carolina, to live with his sister. 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.