Navigating a rising acting career while processing personal loss is a heavy balance, and Tyriq Withers is being brutally honest about the unglamorous realities of grief in the spotlight. In an interview with Variety, the breakout star shared how he channeled deep personal heartbreak into his craft, even asking co-star Marlon Wayans to cross an intense personal line on set to provoke an authentic performance.
While filming a scene where Wayans’ character intensely humiliates Withers’ character, Withers made a request. He asked Wayans to crack jokes about his real-life older brother, Kionte, who tragically passed away following a car crash in 2021.
“Marlon was like, ‘You sure?,’ God bless his soul. I wanted to give him permission to provoke a performance,” Withers recalled. “I’m not saying this is healthy, but I was trying to infuse my real-life experience into the movie. I want to lay my whole life out there.”
Wayans, who was tapping into a darker comedic energy for the role, recognized the vulnerability of the moment. “He asked, and it was brave of him to go there,” Wayans shared. “You could see the effect in his eyes — and I just hugged him afterward.”
For Withers, art frequently mirrors life. In Reminders of Him, his character helps parent the child of a late best friend, a dynamic Withers lives out daily as he remains deeply involved in his late brother’s son’s life. Yet, looking at his nephew often brings on a complex wave of survivor’s guilt.
Despite major career milestones, such as booking a role on Atlanta and securing high-profile film opportunities, Withers admitted that professional wins feel far more painful and isolating than he ever imagined.
“It’s painful, because I’m blessed to have all these opportunities, but I don’t feel happy like you thought you would,” he confessed. “It’s a lonely experience; it’s hard to communicate when you get off the phone with your team, and there’s this silence.”
Recalling the moment he landed his role on Atlanta, Withers reflected on how grief overshadows achievement: “You hear the words over the phone, and you know what it’s supposed to feel like, but it would never feel as you’d think it would. All I could think about was my relationship with my brother, and how much better it would be to call him on the phone and say, ‘Wow, we’re going on vacation!’”
As Withers continues to process his grief both on and off screen, he’s also preparing to step into a lighter artistic chapter. Up next, the rising star is set to showcase a different side of his range by taking on the lead role in the upcoming romantic comedy Love Love.
