Who is Tyriq Withers, Hollywood’s new ‘scream king’?

Tyriq Withers is the man of the hour in his upcoming thriller film, Him, which releases in the US today, on September 19.

Produced by Jordan Peele’s MonkeyPaw Productions, the highly anticipated psychological horror film sees Withers playing a rising American football player who is invited to train in an isolated compound by a legendary quarterback. The movie also stars Marlon Wayans and Julia Fox.

Here’s everything you need to know about Hollywood’s latest “scream king”, Tyriq Withers.

He was an American football player

Tyriq Withers was an American football player at college level in real life. Photo: @tyriqwithers/Instagram

Withers grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. He doesn’t just play an American football player in the new film – he was also one in real life. The actor first played football and made the switch to American football in high school, later playing for Florida State University.

However, when speaking to Interview Magazine in July, the 27-year-old admitted that he had a weird relationship with sports. “I had to come to terms with ‘Who am I doing it for?’ I didn’t enjoy it like I thought I did. I was just trying to make my mum proud,” he said.

After a year of playing the sport in college, Withers decided to quit and focus on “the human experience”. For him, that meant getting involved with the Black Student Union and putting on the first play with the union at the university. “Or getting involved with the Diversity Inclusion Institute, or serving as a mentor for the underdeveloped community around Florida State. Those things spoke to me more than sports,” he added.