To say the mid-90s were life-changing for James Michael Tyler would be an understatement. In 1994, the actor, who only had a handful of cameos to his name at the time, snagged his career-defining role as Gunther on “Friends.” While it started out as a background part, it soon turned into a series staple, and Tyler would reprise the role in a whopping 159 episodes. At the same time that his acting was taking off, he hit another major milestone, this one off-screen, when he married Barbara Chadsey in 1995.
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While little is known about Tyler’s first wife, including her career and how the couple met, what we do know is that their union only lasted eight years. Ironically, just like his personal and professional worlds took off at the same time, they also collapsed in tandem. Tyler and Chadsey called it quits and separated in 2003, just a year before “Friends” went off the air for good. However, their split wasn’t finalized for over a decade, as Tyler waited to officially file for divorce for 11 years. Yes, years. It wasn’t until March 2014 that the small screen star finally decided to pull the trigger and submit the necessary paperwork, citing irreconcilable differences, per TMZ.
