Summary
- James Michael Tyler was open and honest about his stage 4 prostate cancer, knowing that his condition was likely to worsen.
- Despite his sickness, Tyler prioritized appearing in the Friends reunion, even if it meant appearing via Zoom and not on stage with the rest of the cast.
- Tyler used his diagnosis as an opportunity to spread awareness about prostate cancer and encourage men to get checked early for better treatment options.
Following Matthew Perry's passing, fans can't help but to think of another Friends star that passed away, James Michael Tyler. The actor has the best stories about his time on Friends playing the role of Gunther. He was a beloved cast member on the show for a decade.
His role started off as a background player but would develop into so much more. Who can forget his hilarious crush on Rachel throughout the seasons.
In the following, we're going to take a different approach, taking a closer look at James Michael Tyler's personal strength during his toughest days. The actor passed away losing his battle with cancer, but kept a strong outlook throughout. In the following, we're going to take a closer look at his health battle, and how the actor was keeping positive. In addition, we'll reveal the reason Tyler still appeared on the Friends reunion, and how he was doing his best to spread awareness.
James Michael Tyler Revealed That His Stage 4 Prostate Cancer Was 'Gonna Probably Get Me'
During his time on the Today Show, the late James Michael Tyler was very honest about his condition at the time. Tyler was in a battle with prostate cancer. Things seemed as though they were getting better at one point thanks to hormone therapy. However, as time went on, the cancer spread throughout his body. Tyler was honest about his situation, revealing that he likely didn't have much left. Given that it was stage 4 cancer, the actor revealed, "it's gonna probably get me."
"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."
As expected, fans came flocking back to the interview moment following his passing. Tributes for the late Friends star are all over the comments section of the video.
"What a wonderful, selfless man. Thinking of how his diagnosis might cast a shadow over the reunion show. Bless him, he’ll always be remembered, one fan writes.
Despite his condition, James Michael Tyler was adamant about appearing in the Friends reunion special - even if it wasn't in studio with the rest of the cast.
James Michael Tyler Still Wanted To Appear On The Friends Reunion Despite His Sickness
Despite his sickness, James Michael Tyler was still adamant about appearing in the Friends reunion in some capacity. The actor decided that it was best to appear via Zoom. He made it a priority to take part despite his health issues.
He revealed with People, "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?" he said. "... I didn't want to be like, 'Oh, and by the way, Gunther has cancer."
A selfless move by Tyler who still wanted to make fans happy by making an appearance at the once in a lifetime Friends reunion episode. The actor won't be forgotten.
James Michael Tyler Revealed His Diagnosis In Attempt To Spread Awareness For Others To Get Checked
James Michael Tyler was open about his cancer diagnosis. Some actors choose to keep this type of information quiet. However, Tyler's goal was to spread as much awareness as possible prior to his passing. This was similar to Matthew Perry during his final years, who was open and honest about his addiction issues, and how he was finally on the road to recovery.
Tyler discussed his openness about his illness. "There are other options available to men if they catch it before me. Next time you go in for just a basic exam or your yearly check-up, please ask your doctor for a PSA test. It's easily detectable. ... If it spreads beyond the prostate to the bones, which is most prevalent in my form, it can be a lot more difficult to deal with," he said.
"A lot of men, if they catch this early, it's easily treatable. I don't want people to have to go through what I've been going through. This is not ... an easy process."
James continued that it is crucial to have goals and to keep fighting when things get difficult.
"It's made me, personally, just realize how important every moment is, every day. And fighting. Don't give up. Keep fighting. Keep yourself as light as possible. And have goals. Set goals."
Without a doubt, James had a courageous outlook on his situation, despite the fact that he knew things were going to be very difficult.
