Tyriq Withers Biography 2026: Age, Height, Girlfriend, Actor Career, Him, Reminders of Him, Sexiest Man Alive & Net Worth

Tyriq Withers is an American actor who turned a single episode of Atlanta into one of the fastest rises in young Hollywood. Since his 2022 breakout as Aaron in Donald Glover’s “Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga,” the Jacksonville native has moved from recurring TV roles to leading man status in Him, Reminders of Him, and the I Know What You Did Last Summer revival. At 6 feet 5 inches tall, with a background as a Florida State walk-on wide receiver, he brings a rare physical presence to the screen — and a surprising amount of vulnerability.

In 2026, Withers is everywhere. He appeared in PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive issue, made his Met Gala debut in custom Louis Vuitton, and is filming the Amazon MGM romantic dramedy Love Love opposite Isabel May. Here is everything to know about his age, height, family, girlfriends, career, awards, and net worth.

Quick Facts

Fans who follow Tyriq Withers often also search for Marlon Wayans, Maika Monroe, Isabel May, Aaron Pierre, Damson Idris, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Chase Infiniti, and Jonathan Majors — a mix of co-stars and young Black leading men shaping the current Hollywood conversation.

Early Life & Education

Tyriq Leshon Withers was born on July 15, 1998, in Jacksonville, Florida. His father, Leon Withers Jr., is African-American, and his mother, Kimberly Hart-Johnson, is of European descent. He grew up with a sister, Cayla, and an older brother, Kionte, who became his closest male role model. The family’s story was not an easy one: Withers has spoken about a stepfather who left and a father who was largely absent, leaving his mother and Kionte to raise him.

He attended Paxon School for Advanced Studies, a rigorous magnet school in Jacksonville, where he balanced honors coursework with sports. Soccer came first, then football, and by his teens he was on the athletic track that gifted Florida kids are often pushed toward. His mother made sure he showed up coordinated — a detail that explains the fashion obsession he still talks about today.

Withers enrolled at Florida State University, where he was a walk-on wide receiver on the Seminoles roster in 2016 and 2017. He was part of the program during its Orange Bowl season and still describes the experience as formative. But football never fully fit. He has said he played partly to prove something to his mother, and that leaving the team triggered an identity crisis. He graduated in May 2020 with degrees in business and marketing, later adding an MBA from Florida State as a backup plan. At FSU he also became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Career Journey

From Jacksonville to Hollywood

Withers did not come out of a drama program. He was a theater kid at heart who never joined the campus acting scene, and he has described leaving football as a search for identity rather than a plan to become famous. After college he worked toward safe options — the MBA, the corporate job that pays six figures — before deciding that risk suited him better. His first screen credits arrived in 2021, with a small role in the Shudder anthology film Horror Noire and a guest spot on Legacies.

Breakthrough on Atlanta

The turning point came in 2022, when Donald Glover cast him as Aaron in the stand-alone Atlanta episode “Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga.” The episode follows a light-skinned, biracial teenager who has been passing for white and suddenly needs to prove his Blackness to qualify for a college scholarship. It was a demanding, dialogue-heavy role that carried an entire episode without the show’s main cast.

Withers has said he worried nobody would relate to such a specific experience, then learned the opposite lesson: the more niche the story, the more personal it feels. The performance earned him attention across the industry and remains the credit most fans cite when explaining why they started following him.

Building a Television Resume

Before and after Atlanta, Withers stacked steady television work. He played Connor Tibbs across seven episodes of The Game (2021–2022), appeared as Tim in six episodes of Hulu’s Tell Me Lies (2022), and played Yates Skurk in seven episodes of the series Me (2024). He also had an uncredited part in the 2022 comedy Senior Year and a supporting role as Rock in the 2024 remake of Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.

Leading Man Era: I Know What You Did Last Summer and Him

2025 was the year Withers moved from “that guy from Atlanta” to leading man. In July he appeared as Teddy Spencer in Sony’s I Know What You Did Last Summer revival, playing a spoiled rich kid whose bravado hides deep insecurity. Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson has said the character shifted to fit Withers, calling him “an Adonis” who is also genuinely funny and inclusive on set.

Two months later he led Him, the Jordan Peele-produced horror film directed by Justin Tipping, opposite Marlon Wayans. Withers played Cam Cade, a quarterback prospect recovering from a career-threatening injury who joins a training camp run by his idol. The film underperformed with critics and at the box office, but Withers’ performance drew award attention. To prepare for one brutal scene, he asked Wayans to make jokes about his late brother’s death — a request Wayans has called brave, and one that shows how far Withers is willing to go for a role.

Reminders of Him and Love Love

In March 2026, Withers starred as Ledger Ward in Reminders of Him, the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, opposite Maika Monroe. The film received mixed reviews but performed well at the box office, and it gave Withers his first mainstream romantic lead. Hoover herself praised his sensitivity, noting that his personal connection to the story helped make the performance feel authentic.

He followed it with Love Love, an Amazon MGM romantic dramedy in which he stars opposite Isabel May as a U.S. Open ball boy who catches the eye of a tennis star. Filming began in Queens in August 2026 to coincide with the real tournament, and the project marks his first credit as an executive producer. He has also completed the revenge thriller Family Secrets with Eric Dane and Thomas Doherty, and he voiced Special Agent Jackson Brooks in the 2026 audio series The Bodyguard.

Career Stats

• First screen credit: Horror Noire (2021)
• Breakout role: Aaron in Atlanta (2022)
• Film leads: Him (2025), Reminders of Him (2026)
• Major studio films: 4 (2024–2026)
• Television episodes: 20+ across The Game, Tell Me Lies, Me, and Legacies
• Award nominations: 3 (Black Reel Awards and NAACP Image Awards, 2026)
• Upcoming projects: Love Love, Family Secrets

Personal Life

• Marital status: Single; he has not announced an engagement or marriage.
• Girlfriend: No relationship has been publicly confirmed as of late 2026.
• Children: None, though he has said he wants “a little mini-me” someday.
• Parents: Leon Withers Jr. and Kimberly Hart-Johnson.
• Siblings: Sister Cayla and late brother Kionte, who died in a car crash in 2021.
• Family bond: He remains close to Kionte’s son and has spoken about the survivor’s guilt that comes with that relationship.
• Home base: Los Angeles, California.

Dating History and Affairs

Withers keeps his romantic life private and has never confirmed a serious relationship in the press. That has not stopped the rumor mill. In October 2026, photographers captured him leaving Chateau Marmont with model Alex Consani, sparking dating speculation, and separate reports linked him to actress Chase Infiniti. Neither story has been confirmed by Withers or the women involved, and his team has not commented. For now, the honest answer is that his relationship status is private.

What he has discussed openly is grief. In a 2026 Variety interview, he admitted that success after losing his brother has been complicated. “It’s painful, because I’m blessed to have all these opportunities, but I don’t feel happy like you thought you would,” he said. He has also described therapy, meditation, and work as the tools that keep him grounded.

Controversies

Withers has no major scandals on record through 2026. The closest thing to controversy is his self-described “chronically online” reputation. After fans noticed how quickly he responds to internet discourse, he defended himself in a 2026 interview, saying, “God forbid I do research.” The comment became a minor viral moment but did not damage his career.

The other point of public discussion is professional rather than personal: Him was a commercial disappointment, and some critics felt the film wasted his performance. Withers has answered that criticism by moving straight into a romantic lead and an executive producer role, which is arguably the strongest response available.

Awards & Achievements

• Black Reel Awards (2026): Nominated for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance for Him.
• NAACP Image Awards (2026): Nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for Him.
• NAACP Image Awards (2026): Nominated for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture for Him.
• PEOPLE Sexiest Man Alive issue (2026): Featured in the annual franchise.
• Met Gala debut (2026): Attended in custom Louis Vuitton.
• First executive producer credit: Love Love (Amazon MGM, 2026).

Physical Statistics

• Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
• Weight: Not publicly disclosed; he intentionally slimmed down for Love Love.
• Hair color: Black
• Eye color: Dark brown
• Build: Athletic; he carried football weight for years before dropping it for his tennis role.
• Distinguishing feature: His height and broad frame, which casting directors frequently mention.

Quotes

“It’s painful, because I’m blessed to have all these opportunities, but I don’t feel happy like you thought you would. It’s a lonely experience; it’s hard to communicate when you get off the phone with your team, and there’s this silence.”

— Tyriq Withers, Variety, August 2026

“In a world where you’re constantly told to dim your light, I think red carpets are the one place where you can be 100% yourself and your job is to show up and serve unapologetically.”

— Tyriq Withers, Variety, August 2026

He has also summed up his relationship with sports in one line: “Football, soccer — you were a big part of shaping who I am today, but this is my life.”

Favorites

• Fashion houses: Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Ferragamo, Cartier
• Career inspirations: Filmmakers like Charlotte Wells, whose Aftersun he cites as the kind of movie he wants to make
• On-screen goals: Comedy, sci-fi, and eventually directing
• Stress relief: Meditation, stretching, and holistic recovery for old sports injuries
• Personal ritual: Giving “presentations” with friends to teach each other about random topics

Earnings

Tyriq Withers’ exact salary and net worth have not been made public. Based on his film roles, endorsements, and growing profile, industry estimates place his net worth at roughly $1–2 million as of 2026 — a figure that should rise quickly if Love Love performs well and his award nominations convert into wins.

His income comes from several streams: film and television acting fees, his executive producer work on Love Love, brand and fashion partnerships, and appearances at events like the Met Gala and Academy Museum Gala. He does not appear to run a major side business, and he has said he took the MBA route seriously before acting took over.

Interesting Facts

• He was a walk-on wide receiver at Florida State, not a recruited scholarship player.
• He owns an Orange Bowl ring from his time with the Seminoles.
• He earned an MBA after his bachelor’s degree, calling corporate life the “safe option.”
• He learned to handle the ball-boy details for Love Love by watching real ball boys at the French Open.
• He asked Marlon Wayans to joke about his brother’s death on the set of Him to get a more honest performance.
• His first Met Gala look was a sheer shirt under a crystal-studded custom Louis Vuitton trench.
• He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Did You Know Already?

• His full name is Tyriq Leshon Withers, and he was born on July 15, 1998.
• He is 6 feet 5 inches tall — taller than most of his co-stars.
• His Atlanta episode was written and directed by Donald Glover.
• He is biracial, with an African-American father and a European-American mother.
• He lost his older brother Kionte in a 2021 car crash and remains close to Kionte’s son.
• He was featured in PEOPLE’s 2026 Sexiest Man Alive issue alongside the year’s biggest names.

Social Media Links

• IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm10635159
• Variety profile: variety.com/t/tyriq-withers
• Instagram: Private; no handle has been officially confirmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Tyriq Withers is a rare example of an athlete-turned-actor whose career has been built on emotional honesty rather than momentum alone. From a walk-on roster at Florida State to a Jordan Peele production and a Colleen Hoover adaptation, he has kept choosing the harder, more revealing path. With Love Love on the way and his first executive producer credit in hand, 2026 looks like the beginning of a much longer run.

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