The actor who played Gunther in Friends looks completely different now

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Ah, Friends. It might have wrapped up a whole 15 years ago, but we're still just as obsessed with it. There's the Friends Christmas Festival happening this year, Ralph Lauren has launched a Rachel Green collection, and Phoebe's triplets are all grown up and now look like this.

And who doesn't love looking at what your favourite characters are up to nowadays? We know how much Viktor Krum has changed since his Quidditch days, but what about everyone's favourite barista - Gunther?

Actor Michael Tyler played the part of the lovestruck coffee shop owner throughout the show, always pottering around in the background and occasionally piping up to express his love for Rachel.

However, he now looks nothing like the blonde Gunther that Friends fans all know and love.

Michael appeared on This Morning to chat about the show, and in the words of Janice: OH MY GOD.

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Credit: ITV

Gone are the days of a clean shave and peroxide - instead he was sporting a bushy beard, cap and a rather lovely pair of specs.

He's in the UK as part of Comedy Central's FriendsFest, and he explained how his bit part became an iconic Friends character.

'I wasn’t aware of where it was going to go. It happened organically,' he said.

'It was going to be about a two episode arc in my mind but they kept it for ten years and I’m very grateful for that.'

Gunther's first words on the show were 'Yeah', which happened in the 33rd episode.

He also revealed just how much work went into making the audience chuckle.

'If the jokes didn't get the right response, if they didn't land, they would cut the scene,' he revealed.

'The team were made up of extremely talented writers, and would always go after a better laugh.'

But is he hoping to reprise his role in the future? Sadly, no.

'Why mess with perfection?' he told Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield.

'I don’t know if a reboot would have the same weight or quality. They tied it up in a nice little bow.'

Sob.

Jadie Troy-Pryde
News Editor

Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.