James Michael Tyler, the actor known for his role as coffee shop manager Gunther on Friends, is opening up about his battle with stage 4 prostate cancer.
Tyler in an appearance on the Today show Monday revealed he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in September 2018. The cancer was discovered after he received a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test during a routine physical, he says.
"I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, which had spread to my bones," Tyler said. "It's stage 4, late stage cancer. So eventually, you know, it's gonna probably get me."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Tyler, who said the cast and creators of Friends are aware of his diagnosis, wasn't able to participate in the show's recent reunion special on HBO Max in person, but he made an appearance remotely via Zoom. James Corden explained during the special the actor "so desperately wanted to be part of" it.
Tyler told Today he wishes he had "gone in earlier" and urged viewers to ask their doctor for a PSA test, stressing the importance of detecting prostate cancer early.
"My goal this past year was to see my 59th birthday," he said. "I did that. My goal now is to help save at least one life."
-
Should you add your child to your credit card?The Explainer You can make them an authorized user on your account in order to help them build credit
-
Cracker Barrel crackup: How the culture wars are upending corporate brandingIn the Spotlight Is it 'woke' to leave nostalgia behind?
-
'It's hard to discern what it actually means'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
