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Today, we discuss the life of the actor, James Michael Tyler, the man who turned barista experience and a last-minute bleach job into 148 episodes of Friends. I mean is that luck, magic or a strange version of highly-paid-hell where you are stuck being a barista forever no matter what you do?

We dig into the “arc” of his famed Friends character, Gunther in our first ever crossover episode! That’s right, we’re teaming up with Jessica and Zach from Because it Was On - the ultimate podcast for sitcom lovers.  

We follow James Michael (JMT) through the tragic childhood loss of his parents, to a geology degree turned acting MFA that leads him to good ‘ol LA. Los Angeles becomes a parade of survival jobs, including years at a coffee shop, until one “extra” gig on a new show called Friends needs someone who can actually work an espresso machine for the Central Perk scenes. And the rest is freshly brewed history. 

Then Jessica and Zach dig into the character himself: the “harmless weirdo” trope, the way side characters act as audience stand-ins, and the moments where sitcom comedy brushes up against real discomfort. 

But the actor himself was 100% lovable and oddly normal for once? On this show, that in and of itself is bizarre.

Share this with your favorite Friends fan and leave a review with a side character you think deserved their own episode.

Subscribe to Because it Was On! -https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/because-it-was-on/id1662116080 

“If You Knew” read by James Michael Tyler - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf-Gt_ZOAuc

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