The cult star “Friends” made millions – because he was the only one who could operate the espresso machine

Played by James Michael Tyler, who died in 2021 after a serious illness at just 59 years old Gunther is a fan favorite in “friend“. The hydrogen peroxide barista almost didn’t exist, and actor Tyler only got the role that would make him rich thanks to a fun fact. We’ll tell you the full story of how using an espresso machine made him a millionaire!

From extra to supporting character to millionaire

James Michael Tyler was one of many extras who appeared on set during the filming of a new sitcom called “Friends”. The second installment was only just in the making, and people were needed to populate a central location of the series, Café Central Perk.

Since Tyler was the only one present who could operate the complicated espresso machine, he was placed behind the counter. It helped that he financed his expensive life in Los Angeles, during which he worked again and again in different cafes and thus already had experience with the type of machine. But he had no idea how much this knowledge has changed his life.

Those responsible behind “Friends” asked Tyler to come back for the next episode… and the next… and the next too. Eventually he could operate the espresso machine, and that talent seemed rare. In addition, it is only normal that the staff in a cafe, unlike the customers, are relatively constant. He was in most episodes of the first season, but still just one of many extras in the background.

It lasted until the second season and the 33rd episode of the entire series before James Michael Tyler was allowed to speak as Gunter for the first time. It was just a “yes”. But the makers made no secret of the fact that fans loved Gunther. So he got a permanent contract early on. He was now getting $5,000 per episode. He was also occasionally credited throughout the second season.

In fact, by the third season, they slowly started incorporating him into the story and giving him his own personality. It turns out he has a secret crush on Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and has been a soap star like Joey (Matt LeBlanc) in the past. Gunther even got individual gigs outside the cafe. Although he mostly stayed on the sidelines, he was always present. He ended up starring in 185 (out of 236) episodes of the popular sitcom. Only the five protagonists were represented in more episodes.

This is how “Friends” made Tyler a millionaire

Of course, Tyler’s salary has increased over the years. When he got more lines and little stories in the third season, his salary was increased to $20,000 per episode. From the fifth season there was already $30,000 and from season 7 to the end even $40,000 per episode. That’s a far cry from the salaries of the stars, who ended up getting TV’s then-record million-dollar earnings per single (!) episode, but:

185 episodes with salaries ranging from $5,000 to $40,000 per episode show that Tyler has really gotten rich paying for his performances. The fifth and sixth seasons alone would have made him more than a million dollars combined, from the seventh to the final tenth, where he appeared a little less often, it was almost another $2.5 million.

Even more money came in through a very important path for creatives in Hollywood: the so-called residuals. In simplified terms, these say: when the studios make money from a product – for example, through DVD sales, reruns, resale of broadcast rights, etc. – those involved in the implementation should also get a share of it. And in the case of “Friends”, a lot of money was made.

The series eventually became one of the most popular sitcoms of all time – selling all over the world, still being rerun on TV over and over again, and selling DVDs by the dozen. The scraps alone would have made Tyler some $600,000 over the years since the series ended in 2004, according to conservative estimates.

That’s why James Michael Tyler’s story is red hot

currently will James Michael Tyler Hollywood history was also discussed again. Because there is a big dispute between the actors and the major studios and streaming services. In particular Netflix and Co. make use of gaps in the previous scheme to pay little or no residuals. There is also a fear that extras in particular will soon become superfluous because AI and CGI help to fill the scenes with background characters from the computer. But no fan favorites will emerge that way, and there would be no other espresso brewer-to-millionaire success story quite like Tyler’s. And let’s be honest: can you still imagine “Friends” without Gunther? We are not!

The shy barista’s iconic peroxide blonde hair certainly played a role here. That he wore this all ten seasons is due to another coincidence. But maybe that will be another story someday.