This Is Us star Timothy Omundson celebrates 3 years post-stroke

By Noah Mussay | May 7, 2020

THIS IS US -- "Flip a Coin" Episode 404 -- Pictured: (l-r) Timothy Omundson as Gregory, Chrissy Metz as Kate -- (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC) /

Three years after surviving a stroke, This Is Us star Timothy Omundson shared his gratitude on Instagram. Here’s what he had to say.

This season, on This Is Us, life imitated art when Psych actor Timothy Omundson joined the This Is Us cast playing Gregory, the disgruntled neighbor of Kate and Toby.

Although Gregory and Kate got off to a rocky start, they eventually warmed up to each other when Gregory revealed that he’s a recovering stroke survivor. It’s a story that’s quite similar to Omundson’s own as in April of 2017, the actor who’s best known for playing Carlton Lassiter on Psych also survived a massive stroke.

In an interview with TVLine earlier this year, Omundson opened up about the experience:

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"“Early on I joked that it was “Just a wee touch of a stroke.” But it was a massive stroke; I came really close to [dying]. After a stroke, your brain tends to swell. And if unchecked, it will kill you. So they had to crack my skull open like a walnut to relieve [the swelling]. And, to get graphic, they took the two parts of my skull and they tucked it into my stomach. They attach a blood vessel to the bone so it stays viable and the body won’t reject it.”"

While the cause of the stroke is unknown, Omundson tells TVLine that an injured carotid artery stemming from an intense workout may have contributed. Last week, on the third anniversary of his stroke, Omundson posted a photo of himself on his Instagram page wearing a shirt that says “NOT DEAD YET” and the caption:

"“Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the day I SURVIVED (not suffered) a massive stroke. And I am the luckiest man on earth! So many of you have helped me get through this in ways you don’t realize and l want to say THANK YOU ❤️. #SuckItStroke 💪🏻”"

Since the stroke, Omundson has continued recovery through physical therapy and returning to work. In December of 2017, he had a brief cameo in Psych: The Movie. Later this year, he will appear in the Psych: The Movie sequel entitled Psych 2: Lassie Come Home that will be released on the NBC streaming service Peacock.

Omundson told TVLine that returning to work has indeed served him well during his ongoing recovery. He said about portraying a character on This Is Us that’s going through a similar journey:

"“[…] In many ways, this show has helped my recovery. Emotionally, it’s been incredible. And not just for me. For my wife and kids to see me go back to work and doing the thing I love has been so healing for them.”"

We’re glad to see Timothy Omundson is doing well and can’t wait to follow him and Gregory on their road to recovery!

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This Is Us is tentatively set to return for Season 5 this fall on NBC. If you haven’t already, be sure to catch up on Season 4 via Hulu or the NBC app.

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