Friends actor James Michael Tyler opens up about his battle with cancer

The actor, who played Gunther in the series, talked about his struggle after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 2018,

Actor James Michael Tyler

Everyone remembers Gunther, the funny coffee-shop manager from Friends and his constant efforts to woo Rachel. So, when the actor behind this evergreen character, James Michael Tyler, opened up about his battle with prostate cancer, fans were shell shocked.

In an interview with Today, he revealed to the host Craig Melvin, the state of his illness and how it was diagnosed out of the blue in a routine annual check-up, three years ago. During a regular PSA screening test (prostate-specific antigen), Michael’s result came out extremely high, 654 instead of an average 1, indicating that something was wrong.

Shortly after, he was diagnosed with Advanced Stage-4 prostate cancer at the age of 56. He started being treated with Hormone therapy, and had no symptoms for about a year. He went about his daily life normally, while being treated with a combination of three drugs which kept him well for quite some time, until recently, revealed the actor.

On missing a test during the pandemic, his cancer mutated and worsened, spreading to the bones leading to paraplegia, or paralysis of the lower body. “So eventually, you know, it’s gonna probably get me,” the actor said, unable to hold back his tears.

Although currently undergoing chemotherapy, Michael emphasized how chemo is an aggressive strategy, with far better options available to men if the illness is detected early. With a goal to save lives now, he urged fans to get themselves periodically checked, as prostate cancer is “99% treatable” on early detection.

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