The story of Tyriq Withers is one of hard work and perseverance, from being cut from his high school soccer team to becoming a walk-on for Florida State football. Now, those same traits have helped him star as Cameron Cade in the horror film, ‘Him’.
Directed by Justin Tipping and produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, the horror film “Him” follows the story of a star football player. Withers’ character plays the role of mentee to the main character, Isaiah White, played by A-lister Marlon Wayans.
‘Him’ focuses on White spending a week working with Cade to see if he can truly be the next great player. The movie explores themes of commitment, sacrifice, and working to the point of burnout. Withers drew on his experiences as a former athlete, as well as those of some former teammates, to deliver a realistic performance as Cade.
Tyriq Withers Used Personal Experiences to Build His Character
Expectations for youth athletes are at an all-time high. Withers struggled with the demands of being a high-level athlete in high school, and that helped him bring a human element to his character. “As I got into my junior year of high school, the burnout began, and I ended up getting cut from the soccer team. Out of spite for my coach, I decided to play high school football.”
Dealing with burnout, failed expectations, and using failure as motivation are all fundamental elements of the athlete’s journey that Withers could use in this role. After spending two years with the team at FSU, he decided to walk away and focus on school. “[Fisher] was really welcoming to the walk-on team, but he really had a passion for making the walk-ons earn their starting spot. So I think that’s partly why I decided to walk away from the team.”
Following graduation, Withers focused on his new career as an actor. To date, he has 17 acting credits, including appearances in ‘Atlanta’ and ‘Tell Me Lies’.
Inspiration from Other Players
While Cade is a quarterback, Withers looked at a former non-QB teammate for inspiration. “The person who inspired Cameron Cade the most was actually not a quarterback, but [running back] Dalvin Cook. His quiet boldness… somebody so talented yet so humble, walking with a certain level of integrity — that’s what I wanted to steal for my character,” Withers told ESPN.
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The next challenge was to look the part of a quarterback. Withers worked with QB guru Jordan Palmer to learn how to think, act, and approach the game like a quarterback. Palmer had Withers’ work in with his 2024 draft prospects to properly prepare for the role.
Withers approached this leading role like he’s approached most things in his life, with purpose and tenacity. ‘Him’ is in theaters now.
