James Michael Tyler, who played Gunther on “Friends,” had to skip out on the reunion special. Well, kind of. Tyler surprised the main cast and fans after he attended the reunion via Zoom. During the reunion, he shared, “It was the most memorable ten years of my life, honestly. I could not have imagined just a better experience.” Although fans were ecstatic to see the actor, many wondered why he wasn’t there in person. Sadly, it boiled down to Tyler’s health.
A month after the special hit HBO, Tyler spoke with the “Today” show about why he didn’t appear at the reunion in person. He shared, “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 1698840229. Late stage cancer. So eventually, you know, it’s gonna probably get me.” The actor disclosed his diagnosis from 2018, noting that his condition was initially manageable. However, as time progressed, it deteriorated.
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Tyler revealed he didn’t want to hamper the mood of the “Friends” reunion special. He shared, “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? … I didn’t want to be like, ‘Oh, and by the way, Gunther has cancer.'” So, he opted out and instead decided to be there virtually.
