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James Michael Tyler, the Friends actor who played Gunther on the hit sitcom, revealed his battle with prostate cancer on this morning’s episode of The Today Show. Tyler, who was diagnosed in 2018 after a routine checkup, told Today anchor Craig Melvin that the disease has progressed to other parts of his body and how now reached Stage 4.
“I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, which had spread to my bones,” he said. “I’ve been dealing with that diagnosis for almost the past three years. … It’s stage 4 (now). Late stage cancer. So eventually, you know, it’s gonna probably get me.”
Tyler was first diagnosed at age 56 after a scan for PSA, (prostate-specific antigen), he explained. “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 receiving his diagnosis, Tyler tried hormone therapy, which initially “worked amazingly,” the actor said. “All I had to do was take a pill in the morning and the night, and boom, life was pretty much normal,” he recalled. Although he “felt fine” on the therapy, Tyler said his cancer later spread during the pandemic, reaching his bones and spine and resulting in paraplegia. “I missed going in for a test, which was not a good thing,” he said. “So the cancer decided to mutate at the time of the pandemic, and so it’s progressed.”
Tyler explained that he didn’t join in on the Friends reunion special last month because of his diagnosis. While the main cast appeared in-person, he joined the event via Zoom. “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,” he said. “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.'”
The Friends actor is hoping by sharing his experience, he can help other men detect prostate cancer earlier than he did. “A lot of men, if they catch this early, it’s easily treatable,” he explained. “I don’t want people to have to go through what I’ve been going through. This is not … an easy process.”
