Gunther the Central Perk barista is, without a doubt, my favorite character from Friends. His bleach blonde hair. His tacky shirts. His monotone delivery of every single line. It’s all wonderful and part of what made Friends one of the best sitcoms of all time!
It was announced earlier this year that the actor who plays Gunther, James Michael Tyler, had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. Now, he’s giving fans an update.
Back in June, the actor sat down with the TODAY show and revealed the heartbreaking news.
“I’m sorry to say that I’m not appearing with you today to announce that there’s going to be a Friends movie,” James joked. “Actually, I’m here to let you know that in September 2018, I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, which had spread to my bones.”
“I’ve been dealing with that diagnosis for almost the past three years. … It’s stage 4 (now). Late stage cancer.”
During the emotional interview , Michael recalled his treatment and how he thought it had “worked amazingly for about a year.”
He was previously treated with hormone therapy and is now undergoing chemotherapy.
RELATED STORIES
“All I had to do was take a pill in the morning and the night, and boom, life was pretty much normal,” he explained.
“I was feeling fine, honestly. I had no symptoms, I didn’t feel any symptoms. And it was very easy to regulate.”
He explained his cancer spread to his bones during the pandemic and he is now experiencing paralysis in the lower half of his body.
Now, James is giving fans an update on how his treatment is going.
In a message posted on his social media, the 56-year-old explained that his level of prostate-specific antigens was decreasing.
“Still here. Still #fighting. …[M]y PSA is decreasing so the chemo is helping,” he wrote.
Fans in the comment section were sending love and support to the actor as he continues to fight the good fight.
We’re sending a big hug to our favorite Central Perk Barista!
