DOWNTOWN Magazine team members with James Michael Tyler at Central Perk
In honor of the hit sitcom “Friends” 20th anniversary, a pop-up replica of Central Perk was created in New York City. DOWNTOWN got the chance to not only stop by and see the various props and items from the show, but also to chat with James Michael Tyler aka Gunther from the show.
This pop-up shop was a collaboration between Eight O’Clock Coffee and Warner Bros. Television that opened on September 17th and sadly ended Saturday October 18th. It was created in honor of “Friends” 20th anniversary. Visitors were able to get a ticket and wait in line for the chance to see the beloved coffee shop.
When we visited the shop, the line was wrapped around the block with excited fans waiting to get in. Upon entering, you could see “Friends” memorabilia from the show including the wedding invitation to Chandler and Monica’s wedding, Smelly Cat cat food and the laminated list of the five famous people Ross can sleep with. The walls were lined with images of past episodes and there was even a big-screen TV playing the series on one of the walls.
When you were done going around to the props, costumes and photos, you could get a free cup of coffee, take a photo on the orange couch and even buy Central Perk souvenirs including aprons, mugs and journals.
DOWNTOWN got to chat with Tyler about what he loved the most about “Friends,” his favorite way to drink coffee and how he felt about the final episode of the series.
DOWNTOWN: How did the Central Perk pop-up shop idea come about?
James Michael Tyler: Wow. You know what? That’s probably a question for the publicity people, rather than me. I know that Eight O’Clock Coffee and Warner Bros. came together to do this for the 20th anniversary. It’s a brilliant idea. They just wanted to create Central Perk in the neighborhood or near the neighborhood where “Friends” actually took place. I mean it’s just an amazing area. And I got to bleach my hair again for it which is great!
DOWNTOWN: What do you think was the charm of the TV show that made it so successful?
JMT: I don’t know if I have a really good answer for that, because I’m so close to it. I was just going in as an actor to play this role and to be on the set. It’s a job. It’s hard to see it from the outside. In retrospect, now 20 years later, seeing the response for this…this is the tail end of it… and I was here the first week that it opened. Yeah, I expected a few people to come in and check it out, but apparently there have been lines along the block in New York for a month! It never died down! I don’t know… I think, in a way, it’s because it was shot in the 90’s, a lot of 90’s fashion. And the jokes, they’re not rooted in the nineties. They’re not making like Rico Suave jokes! The characters are very relatable, and they’re all so different. The six main characters have different personalities. Everybody has a little Phoebe in them, everyone has a little Ross. We’re all Ross sometimes. We’re Rachel sometimes. It relates to everyone. You guys are what, 20 years old, right? If that? So you were two years old when the show started, right? So I’m meeting people your age who’ve watched every episode. I started it when I was 32, so it’s like another generation of people who can relate. And honestly, it’s really well written and has great actors. You see their characters evolve from the beginning to the end of the show. Now you can watch it from the beginning to the end in a week, if you’d like. So yeah, I think it’s just pretty universal and it’s across the world too, like in China. I did some interviews with correspondents from China, and they’re saying “I learned how to speak English by watching ‘Friends.'” For real! That’s how they learned how to speak English: by watching “Friends” DVDs! I’m like “no wonder you sound like a New Yorker!” That’s the most fascinating thing. Not only China, but it’s translated in pretty much every language on earth. It’s on TV somewhere all the time. It’s surreal.
DOWNTOWN: Besides your own, who was your favorite character?
JMT: As a viewer, I really loved Phoebe. I really think she’s a great character. Maybe it’s knowing Lisa and knowing she’s nothing like Phoebe at all in real life. She’s not flighty at all. She studied like biology or something. I’m not too sure. She comes from a completely different background. It’s just a testament to what a great actor she is. As a character, I loved Phoebe.
DOWNTOWN: What is your favorite behind the scenes memory?
JMT: There are too many. I’ve said this before, so I’ll be repeating myself, but the final episode. That was tough, but it was also very complete. I was glad they gave Gunther closure. It was easy to leave that out, but when I saw that in the script I was like, finally he professes his love. He gets rejected once again, but I think he expected it in that last one. It was the first time that he actually said it. He was usually in the background like “Hey, I’m going to marry you.” No you’re not, Gunther! I saw this as an actor. It was never going to happen, but at least he got to say it. And I think he accepted that okay, we’re in the friend zone.
DOWNTOWN: Do you live in New York City? Regardless, what is your favorite spot in Lower Manhattan?
JMT: I don’t live in New York actually. I live in L.A. Do I have a downtown spot? You know what I like… there’s an amazing…there are so many amazing places that I like! There is a great little restaurant. It’s called Whiskey Tavern. I think they have great food and music, and they’re so friendly! You feel like a local. Every time I go downtown I pop in and they’re like “Hey, James! Welcome back!” I might not be back for 6 months, but they’re like “How are you doing?” It’s like I live around the corner. They’re very welcoming. It’s sort of a local spot, and it’s not overrun. It’s by Chinatown. Who would go there? I mean everybody would go there. It’s a great spot.
DOWNTOWN: One final question: how do you take your coffee?
JMT: Black! No Cream. No Sugar. Just like that. I’m a purist when it comes to coffee.
-Kayla Hernandez
