“F.R.I.E.N.D.S” Star, Gunther – James Michael Tyler has Prostrate Cancer
Entertainer James Michael Tyler, who played server Gunther on FRIENDS, has opened up about having prostrate cancer in September 2018. James is presently going through chemotherapy.
Actor James Michael Tyler on Monday uncovered he is fighting stage 4 prostate malignant growth. Tyler is most popular for playing Gunther in the mainstream sitcom “F.R.I.E.N.D.S”.
The 59-year-old entertainer talked about his health issue during an appearance on NBC’s Today show. Tyler told have Craig Melvin that he was diagonsed to have progressed prostate cancer growth in 2018, and it has now spread to his bones.
James Michael Tyler said his illness began ‘mutating’ during the Covid pandemic, and now he can presently don’t walk. “I missed going in for a test, which was not a good thing. So the cancer decided to mutate at the time of the pandemic, and so it’s progressed,” he shared. Adding that it’s a ‘late-stage cancer’. “So in the end, you know, it’s going to most likely get me,” the entertainer said, fending off tears.
James Michael Tyler, who was absent at the as of late held F.R.I.E.N.D.S Reunion because of his continuous treatment. He compensated for it by astounding fans through a Zoom call. Discussing the gathering, James said, “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. 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.'”
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Here are some of the Gunther facts that you didn’t know. It doesn’t matter if you’re an ardent fan of friends or not, you probably would have missed these.
- Real Life Barista: James Michael Tyler earned his role because he was the only one who knew how to operate the espresso machine. Luckily, this added him as a regular extra from just an extra on the show. Ironically, he never made coffee while filming because of the noise from the machine.
- Accidental Bleached Blonde Hair: Tyler showed up to the audition in the bleached hair but he didn’t think he’d bleach it for the next 10 years. The producers liked the look and he kept it.
- Nameless and Silent for a whole season: This might be hard to believe but Gunther didn’t earn his name as Gunther until the second season of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. He didn’t have a single dialogue all throughout season 1.
- No Last Name: From being a nameless guy to the Central Perk manager, Gunther didn’t receive a last name. We knew he had a crush on Rachel and few storylines, but that’s all that is.
- A Soap Star: Since he didn’t receive a background story or indepth character, Tyler formed a mini backstory to his character, Gunther. In his mind, Gunther was a failed soap artist who became barista to make the ends meet.
Let us know in the comments if we have missed anything!
