GUNTHER FRIENDS. Unforgettable Gunther in Friends, James Michael Tyler revealed to suffer from stage 4 cancer and is not very optimistic about his state of health.
[Mis à jour le 24 juin 2021 à 20h45] This is news that rocked Friends fans this week. Monday June 21, 2021, James Michael Tyler, who plays Gunter in the American series, announced to the Today Show that he has suffered for several years from prostate cancer, diagnosed in 2018 during a routine check-up. With the health crisis, the disease developed, now reaching stage 4. The television actor was not very optimistic about his chances of beating his cancer: “He will probably kill me […] My goal last year was to reach my 59th birthday. Nailed it.”
Since the pandemic linked to the coronavirus, the disease of James Michael Tyler has progressed a lot: “I failed a check-up which was not a good thing. And the disease developed”. The interpreter of Gunther in Friends thus clarified that the cancer reached his spine, making him paraplegic. It was because of his cancer that the actor did not physically appear at the Friends’ cast reunion. Fans could only see him for a few short minutes, completely changed, on the occasion of a video appearance: “I was happy to be included. It was I who decided not to be physically present. […] because I didn’t want to spoil the party in ‘Oh, and by the way, Gunther has cancer’. ”During this appearance in the Today Show, James Michael Tyler called on viewers to get tested regularly, hoping to save “at least one life” through his testimony.
James Michael Tyler is an American actor. Born May 28, 1962 in Winona, Mississippi, United States, he is best known for playing Gunther in the Friends series from 1994 to 2004. After Friends, James Michael Tyler appeared occasionally on television, in Scrubs in the role of psychologist in 2005, then in Episodes in 2012, alongside Matt Leblanc (Joey in Friends). We could also see it in Iron Chef America and Modern Music. In cinema he appeared in Motel Blue (1999) and Jason’s Big Problem (2010). In 2021, he quickly appears at the Friends cast reunion via zoom. A few weeks later, he announced to the Today Show that he has been suffering from prostate cancer since 2018.
From 1994 to 2004, James Michael Tyler played Gunther, the manager of Central Perk in love with Rachel, in the hit sitcom Friends. He was chosen from among many extras because he was the only one who knew how to use the coffee machine available on the set. Originally, James Michael Tyler was only supposed to do occasional figuration, but the manager of Central Perk eventually became a talking role, allowing the actor to be entitled to more scenes and importance.
James Michael Tyler has been married twice. In 1995, he unites with a certain Barbara Chadsey, with whom he will live until 2014. The couple divorced that year, citing irreconcilable differences. He has since married a certain Jennifer Carno.
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