How “Him” Actor Tyriq Withers Handles Newfound Fame: ‘The Block Button Is There for a Reason’ (Exclusive)

New scary movie Him is group successful nan fanatical world of master football. Tyriq Withers plays a rising backmost who, successful 1 skin-crawling segment — spoiler alert! — is attacked by a rabid instrumentality hiding successful a sauna. 

Has nan actor, astatine this early shape successful his Hollywood career, ever knowledgeable a instrumentality relationship that intense? “No, I don't person thing for illustration that — hopefully ever,” Withers, 27, tells PEOPLE successful an exclusive question and reply pinch a laugh. 

“But yeah, I americium alert of nan extreme culture. I person friends successful nan industry, and I've gotten immoderate random texts wherever you’re conscionable like, ‘Block button!’ ” he continues.

Calling newfound nickname “exciting,” and stan civilization “pretty insane,” nan prima of this summer’s I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot explains that he is “just taking it 1 time astatine a time.”

And, he adds, “the artifact fastener is location for a reason.”

Him (in theaters now), from shaper Jordan Peele and head and co-writer Justin Tipping, costars Marlon Wayans arsenic a legendary but mysterious shot legend.

Withers plays Cameron Cade, who joins Wayans and Julia Fox, arsenic Isaiah and Elsie White, astatine their backstage compound aft a debilitating caput injury.

Withers had thing of a caput commencement successful playing a backmost onscreen. As a erstwhile wide receiver astatine Florida State University (FSU), he knew nan demands of shot wrong and out.

“I cognize what it's for illustration to want to beryllium nan champion connected that field,” he says, drafting a comparison to achieving greatness connected camera. 

“Chasing a profession successful acting, you person to really dedicate a batch of clip to nan training, to nan intelligence preparation, nan affectional turmoil that life has to propulsion astatine you, and usage that to mold who you want to beryllium successful nan industry,” adds Withers. 

Embodying Cameron’s “perfectionism,” he continues, couldn’t thief but consciousness personal. “I conscionable wanted everything you spot connected camera to beryllium real. I didn't fto my double propulsion a azygous walk because I really locked successful connected that training [and] propulsion for illustration a number 1 draught pick," Withers says.

When Cameron is seen successful Him getting disappointment complete less-than-perfect passes while training pinch Isaiah, galore of those takes “might beryllium real," Withers explains.

“You propulsion your limb truthful overmuch that my elbow started emotion for illustration it was astir to break. ... I conscionable benignant of usage nan trouble successful training to really bleed into nan affectional capacity of nan travel that Cameron Cade goes through," he tells PEOPLE.

What’s Withers’ slightest favourite training exercise? “I dislike thing legs. My legs are really long, truthful thing wherever I person to squat — Bulgarian divided squat, lunges — I'm giving s--- to my trainer each nan time," he says.

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Him besides couldn’t thief but resonate pinch Withers because of its accent connected nan sacrifices group must make to excel. The character — who will adjacent prima successful nan Colleen Hoover romanticist drama Reminders of Him (in theaters March 13, 2026) — turned down “job offers to spell make six figures” to prosecute his craft.

“I went dense astatine chasing this dream during 2020,” he explains. “I sacrificed that determination of safety, comfort, and pursued acting, 1 of nan astir elusive careers ever, during a world pandemic.”

Now that he’s made a sanction for himself successful back-to-back buzzy scary films, Withers says his extremity is clear: “Just support challenging myself to go a amended Tyriq.”

Him is successful theaters now.