Gunther from Friends has stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis
James Michael Tyler, the actor best known for playing Gunther - Central Perk's sarcastic coffee shop owner on NBC's hit sitcom Friends - has revealed he's fighting stage 4 prostate cancer.
The actor appeared on Today Monday to discuss his struggles with the disease since his initial diagnosis in 2018, telling NBC anchor Craig Melvin that because he didn't catch the cancer early, it spread more rapidly than usual. During the pandemic, the actor became paralyzed from the waist down due to tumors that grew on his spine.
"For my specific prognoses... it's stage 4. Late-stage cancer," Tyler explained. "So eventually, you know, it's gonna probably get me."
While Tyler's illness kept him from appearing in person at the recent Friends reunion, the actor was determined to remain a part of the event.
"I wanted to be a part of that, and initially I was going to be on the stage, at least, with them, and be able to take part in all the festivities," Tyler told Today. "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.'"
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | October 24, 2021 11:18 PM
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How sad. Here’s an article
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | June 21, 2021 6:58 PM
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The Donny and Marie Show was better than Friends.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | June 21, 2021 7:03 PM
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And everybody thought Chandler would be the first to go. Looks like it may be Gunther. Very sad.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | June 21, 2021 7:47 PM
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He’s straight it seems. Always assumed he was one of us. He got divorced from a woman in 2014 after a long marriage.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | June 21, 2021 9:29 PM
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R2 not that I even disagree, but certainly not the point of OP's post
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | June 21, 2021 9:30 PM
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And this way he doesn't have to share the screen with the six leads.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | June 21, 2021 9:45 PM
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Another gay... ( long-term hag wife, no children). Scientists must explore the effect of HIV on Covid.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | June 21, 2021 9:55 PM
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Anybody know what his pay for Friends was and what his residuals are?
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | June 24, 2021 10:02 AM
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A reminder to everyone to get checked...I'm not old enough to have my insurance cover a prostate exam, but I still get my PSA level tested every year. 1 in 6 guys will have prostate cancer; a fact I didn't know until my father caught his prostate cancer very early.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | June 24, 2021 10:09 AM
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Well said, R10. My own dad wasn't diagnosed early enough. He was a smart man, but unfortunately seemed to believe that he was indestructible. By the time he was diagnosed, the cancer was beginning to spread to the bones, and his hip fractured spontaneously. He died five months after being diagnosed.
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | June 24, 2021 10:18 AM
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All that pining for Jennifer Aniston. And all he got was cancer!
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | June 24, 2021 10:55 AM
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Farewell James Michael Tyler...
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | October 24, 2021 10:35 PM
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First Peter Scolari
Second Gunther
Hope there isn't a #3 actor cancer death.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | October 24, 2021 10:48 PM
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[quote]R16: Hope there isn't a #3 actor cancer death.
Why, R16? Because you want to hold out for an actress murder?
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | October 24, 2021 10:59 PM
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Just looking at the same cause of death connection for the "comes in 3s" superstition.
Been a rough week in Hollywood, though.
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | October 24, 2021 11:05 PM
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