Men's Lifestyle September 20, 2025 0 Comments

Behind the Spotlight: How Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, and Julia Fox Conquer Fear and Fame to Transform Their Lives in “HIM”

Ever wonder how a simple mentorship could twist into a psychological thriller that grabs you by the gut and refuses to let go? Well, Jordan Peele—yeah, the genius behind some of the most mind-bending horror out there—has teamed up once again with his Monkeypaw production crew to drop just that with his latest film, HIM, hitting theaters today. Executive produced by Peele and masterfully directed by Justin Tipping, this flick follows a young football prodigy whose dream mentorship with his idol spirals into something deeply unsettling. It’s a raw, visceral dive into the kind of everyday nightmare that feels embarrassingly close to home—because what’s scarier than the shadows lurking in the places we trust the most? Trust me, this isn’t your typical horror story; it’s one that creeps in, burrows beneath your skin, and stays there long after the credits roll. Ready to see what happens when sportsmanship meets psychological terror? Let’s break it down. LEARN MORE

Jordan Peele has a knack for turning everyday horrors into art, and with HIM opening in theatres today, the Oscar-winning filmmaker and his Monkeypaw production company have done it again.

Executive produced by Peele and directed by Justin Tipping, HIM follows a young football phenom (Tyriq Withers) whose dream mentorship with his football idol (Marlon Wayans) curdles into something far more sinister.

L to R: Director Justin Tipping, Tyriq Withers (as Cam), Producer Jordan Peele, and Marlon Wayans (as Isaiah) on the set of HIM, from Universal Pictures.

During a recent press junket that SWAGGER attended, the cast reflected on the film’s deeper themes and their own transformations.

For Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie, White Chicks), the role of Isaiah, a charismatic yet quietly menacing mentor, became an unexpected mirror. “It works on many levels because it’s not just the gory stuff; it’s the simple stuff,” Wayans shared. “It’s being locked inside that pressure, the claustrophobia… going in that cold-water plunge and you don’t know something’s going to pull you down. It works on a visceral level, but a mental level too.”

Wayans didn’t just play Isaiah; he mined something of himself. “I’m a lot more secure than Isaiah,” he explained, “but I dove in this pool to find him, and I looked up and saw a broken Marlon. I was like, wait, you’re not done yet. Now Marlon is going to have his best years because the two of us found each other.”

The timing feels serendipitous: this fall, Wayans will return to his comedy-horror roots when he begins filming Scary Movie 6. But first, HIM marks a career pivot, proving he can deliver menace as deftly as he delivers laughs.

Across from him, newcomer Tyriq Withers (I Know What You Did Last Summer) delivers a breakout turn as Cameron Cade, the prodigy who can’t tell if he’s being guided or groomed. “The brutalism of the compound is so well thought out,” Withers noted. “When things become so high and elitist, it begins to look and feel like a prison. And the sound design; sound is one of the biggest things that can add to the scare factor.”

Tyriq Withers is Cam in HIM, directed by Justin Tipping

Despite the intensity between characters, the bond between the two actors was anything but bleak. “The real work was when I’m knocking his door down during lunch to bother him,” Withers laughed. “That rapport made the relationship feel authentic.”

The iconic Julia Fox (Uncut Gems), as the enigmatic Elsie, brings a different voltage to the screen. “Your dreams can very quickly become your nightmares,” she reflected. “We see things the way we want to see them, not for what they really are. When it doesn’t feel good anymore, it’s okay to let it go. That doesn’t mean you’re a failure.”

Fox credited Tipping’s trust for giving her the freedom to push deeper. “He wouldn’t call cut at the end of a scene—he’d just linger and see what we’d come up with. He really trusts his cast to take risks.”

L to R: Marlon Wayans (as Isaiah), director Justin Tipping, and Tyriq Withers (as Cam) on the set of HIM, from Universal Pictures.

Wayans tipped his hat to the production team that made the whole fever dream possible. “Only Jordan Peele and Monkeypaw could bring you a psychological horror movie set in the world of football and make it a crazy yet super exciting experience,” he said, grinning. Withers agreed: “Monkeypaw delivers important cinema in an organic, digestible way. You can watch this film once for pure enjoyment, then again for the sound design, and again for a different theme.”

Director Justin Tipping on the set of HIM.

From its claustrophobic architecture to its unnerving score, HIM doesn’t just scare—it lingers. A must-see, the film burrows under your skin and refuses to leave. It’s a showcase for three performers meeting the moment, and for Peele’s production company once again proving that the scariest stories are the ones that feel uncomfortably real.

HIM is now playing exclusively in theatres nationwide.