James Michael Tyler, who is popularly known for playing the role of Gunther in the hit American sitcom Friends recently revealed that he is battling prostate cancer. The actor revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer which had spread to his bones in September 2018. He further went on to add that it was also the reason why he didn't make a cameo in person in the recent Friend's reunion special episode.
Speaking to the Today Show, Tyler said, 'It's stage 4. Late stage cancer. So eventually, you know, it's gonna probably get me. Talking about the recent Friends reunion special, he said, 'It was bittersweet, honestly, I was very happy to be included. It was my decision not to be a part of that physically and make an appearance on Zoom, basically, because I didn't wanna bring a downer on it, you know? I didn't want to be like, 'Oh, and by the way, Gunther has cancer.'
Talking more about his health, Tyler recalled, 'I was 56 years old at the time, they screen for PSA, which is a prostate-specific antigen. That came back at an extraordinarily high number.. So I knew immediately when I went online and I saw the results of my blood test and blood work that there was obviously something quite wrong there. Nearly immediately, my doctor called me and said, 'Hey, I need you to come in tomorrow because I suspect that you may have quite a serious problem with your prostate.'
After additional testing, Tyler was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. The actor is currently undergoing chemotherapy which is aggressively fighting the cancer.
Image Source:Instagram/JamesMichaelTyler