James Michael Tyler at a pop-up celebration of the 20th anniversary of "Friends" in New York City on Sept. 16, 2014.Paul Zimmerman / Getty Images file

"Michael loved live music, cheering on his Clemson Tigers, and would often find himself in fun and unplanned adventures," his manager said.

James Michael Tyler, the actor best known for his role as Gunther, the general manager of the Central Perk coffee shop on “Friends,” died Sunday of cancer, his manager said. He was 59.

Tyler, who was diagnosed with an advanced form of prostate cancer in September 2018, became an advocate for others with the disease, his manager, Toni Benson, said in a statement.

"Michael loved live music, cheering on his Clemson Tigers, and would often find himself in fun and unplanned adventures," Benson said. "If you met him once you made a friend for life."

Tyler's "Friends" costars paid tribute to the actor late Sunday on social media.

"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," wrote actor Courteney Cox, who played Monica on the show.

"We had a lot of laughs buddy. You will be missed," said her co-star Matt Le Blanc, who played Joey.

"Thank you for being there for us all," added Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe.

Tyler was initially intended to play an extra on "Friends," but his "unique spirit" got him promoted to a named character, the hit show's co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane said in a tribute on Sunday to the "genuinely kind, sweet man."

In "Friends," Tyler played Gunther, who makes the gang coffee every day while nursing an unrequited crush on Rachel, played by Jennifer Aniston. He also appeared in "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and other TV movies and shows.