Tyriq Withers opens up about transforming grief into performance and taking risks as Ledger in Reminders of Him
Tyriq Withers has made a name for himself in spine-tingling films, yet his turn in the romantic drama Reminders of Him demanded a very different kind of courage. At 27, Withers traded jump scares for quiet moments, portraying Ledger, a bar owner whose compassion becomes central to the story of a woman trying to rebuild her life. The role comes from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel and was adapted for the screen with Hoover’s collaboration, giving Withers a clear textual guide while also challenging him to inhabit a gentler, more emotionally exposed performance.
Known for projects such as Him and I Know What You Did Last Summer, Withers describes the shift into romance as unexpectedly intimidating. He speaks candidly about how the film’s pacing — its stillness and yearning — required him to learn how to hold softness on camera and to risk being seen differently by audiences. Offscreen, his background and personal history, including profound family loss, have informed his work and his desire to connect with viewers who recognize themselves in complex emotional stories.
Before filming, Withers immersed himself in Colleen Hoover’s novel and treated the book as his creative bible, returning to it to mine small behavioral details that make Ledger feel lived-in. Because Hoover co-wrote the screenplay and director Vanessa Caswill helped shape the tone, Withers found a balance between honoring the source and making choices born of performance instincts. He gave examples of tiny, character-defining gestures that translated from page to screen, proving that small touches — like a specific way of pointing or a fleeting look — can carry significant emotional weight when placed carefully in a scene.
Grief threads through both the film and Withers’s life. He has spoken openly about the death of his older brother in a 2026 car accident, an event that reshaped his relationship to his work and clarified why he pursues roles that invite empathy. In the movie, Kenna’s struggle to reconnect with her child requires Ledger to operate from a space of patience and understanding; Withers says that embodying such compassion meant engaging with his own evolving sense of grief — not only mourning others but confronting lost versions of himself and the nostalgia that can hurt.
Withers approaches acting as both a personal practice and a communal offering: by pulling from his life, he hopes to make audiences feel seen rather than merely entertained. He describes Ledger as a mediator and quiet supporter whose empathy offers a new lens on the film’s central conflicts. That approach demanded restraint and the ability to communicate through silence, which the actor found more daunting than the physicality required in horror work. For Withers, the choice to render tenderness honestly on screen was itself an act of bravery.
Having begun his career building short films with a phone and performing in theater, Withers now navigates the practical realities of Hollywood while staying attuned to the creative ones. He mentions the everyday surprises of success — from his first Hollywood paycheck splurges at restaurants to learning about taxes and the business side of acting — but emphasizes that money was never the main aim. Professionally, he wants to keep exploring variety: from rom-coms to intimate, artful dramas akin to Aftersun, and he names classic films such as When Harry Met Sally and Stand and Deliver among his influences for the emotional lessons they offer performers.
When asked to define himself, Withers points to a combination of resilience and light. He credits personal hardship for deepening his artistic well, saying that having traversed dark periods makes the joyous and tender moments truer on screen. He also shares everyday details — a fondness for dad jokes, chocolate, and an aversion to sandy beaches — that humanize the actor behind the roles. Ultimately, Withers frames his work as a pursuit of connection: using his life to help others feel less alone through stories on film.