Given his 6'5" stature and jawline sharp enough to stop you mid-scroll, Tyriq Withers might seem destined for movie stardom. But disarmingly self-effacing and quick to laugh, his humility is refreshingly intact despite his rising fame.
"People see the exterior and they assume you have everything together," says the Reminders of Him star, who plays Ledger Ward in this spring’s adaptation of the bestselling Colleen Hoover novel. "I think when you look at Ledger, you assume he's a tough guy. But he's just a soft, sensitive boy - because that's what we all are."
A self-identified "loverboy," Tyriq comes off as less of an untouchable Hollywood heart-throb and more like the crush from back home that you never quite forgot. So, we sat down to talk about life as a famously hot man whose fame doesn’t quite seem to have hit him yet.
I think women are raised to be very aware of our appearance and how we do or don’t meet certain beauty standards. I'm curious what that’s like from the male perspective, especially now that you’re stepping into the romantic leading-man role as Ledger…
"I think the moment everything started to shift for me was when I realised I was going to have to take my shirt off on camera for a movie. It caused this, like, body dysmorphia. I became hyper-fixated on the little things about my body. There are times when I don’t want to go to the beach because I don’t feel like taking my shirt off. There are times when I dread taking a shower because I don't want to take off my clothes and, like, look at my body, you know? So I think that's a recent thing, when the work I tapped into started to really put me in those circumstances where my looks are, like, a thing."
Have you noticed a difference yet between dating pre-fame vs. post-fame?
"I haven’t really dated post-fame. It's so mind-blowing to me that people have seen my work and, like, get excited about my work. I don't even think I have fame. I don't know - it’s weird. But I'm excited to see how that is."
If someone slid into your DMs, would you consider going out with them?
"Yeah, I think that’s so bold. But it has to be the right person. I don't really slide in DMs; I never know what to say. Oh, I went on a first date - this is a good one - and this was somebody who has been in the industry for a while, right? This was a couple years ago. And then on the date, she was like, 'Oh, I gotta follow you on Instagram.' She followed me and then went to the DMs and I had DMed her, like, five years before."
That's so funny. Did you remember that you'd done that?
"No! She read it out loud at the table - it was, like, three sentences. It was something like, 'Hey, before 2017 ends, I just couldn't close the year out without letting you know how gorgeous you are.' Something along those lines. And I just sat there and I turned so red. Anyway, this is why I don’t slide in the DMs - because they live forever."
Are you the kind of person who really likes to impress a date?
"Yeah! Who doesn’t? I think it’s a cute thing to always try to impress anybody you’re interested in. I think that looks all types of different ways. You know, like picking them up [for a date]. I'm not picking you up in my 2013 Hyundai Elantra though, so we can Uber. [Laughs.]"
Reminders of Him hits cinemas 13 March
Lead image: Robe Brioni, pants Todd Snyder, necklace Chopard, pocket square Brunello Cucinelli, ring Eliburch Jewelry.
Styled by Brandon Tan. Grooming by Laila Hayani at Forward Artists.
