Tia And Tamera Mowry's Stunning Transformation
"Sister, sister/Never knew how much I missed ya..." If you can believe it, "Sister, Sister" premiered all the way back in 1994.The sitcom introduced audiences to real-life identical twins Tia and Tamera Mowry. "I grew up on television. I saw, literally, and I can even watch them today, my growing pains," Tia said on a 2019 episode of "Tia Mowry's Quick Fix." "I'm looking back going, 'Oh my god, Tia, your teeth. Oh my god, Tia, your hair."
It's one thing to come of age on television; it's another thing to be a celebrity twin who grew up in the spotlight. "People tend to kind of want to put you together as if you're one person," Tia said on another episode of "Tia Mowry's Quick Fix." "People knew us as Tia and Tamera, so we really had to work hard to create our individual identity."
From their early days acting in commercials to their varied filmographies and business ventures today, the Mowry sisters have had a stunning transformation. The former child stars have made an effort to pave their own paths while always being in each other's corners. Got to love that sibling synchronicity.
They became involved in show business at an early age
Tia and Tamera Mowry's parents, Darlene and Timothy Mowry, met in high school. The two married, joined the Army, and raised four kids. Their eldest, Tia and Tamera, were born in Germany on July 6, 1978. The twins began competing in pageants and modeling for catalogs at an early age, and it wasn't long before the family was ready to settle down in Los Angeles and give the acting world a shot.
On a 2018 episode of "Tia Mowry's Quick Fix," Tia shared that her mom made a deal with the twins before the family could relocate. "What my mom ended up doing ... is during the summer, she had taken me to L.A. and she made a promise to me. She said, 'If you book something, whether that's a commercial, whether that's a television show, a guest spot, then I would move the family to L.A.'"
Lo and behold, that deal worked out well for the twins. Tia and Tamera Mowry booked their first gig, a Chrysler commercial, and their little brother Tahj Mowry landed a recurring role on "Full House." With that, the Mowry family headed to Hollywood for good.
Tia and Tamera Mowry moved to Los Angeles at 11 years old
Once the twins moved to Los Angeles to pursue their acting careers, reality set in. In a September 2019 episode of "Tia Mowry's Quick Fix," Tia Mowry reflected on the ups and downs of this transitional period. When she left for California with her mom and siblings, her dad stayed behind in Texas. "It separated the family, and that already is a challenge," she said.
She added that there was a lot of hard work involved with memorizing lines and driving to and from auditions for about three years. "I really give a lot of credit to my mother for constantly being that support system for me that when I didn't book something or I didn't get a job ... she kept on motivating me to continue to move forward," Tia remarked.
On top of all of that, the Mowry twins saw how difficult the industry can be for young Black girls. As Tamera Mowry told Yahoo! Entertainment in October 2021, there was a tremendous lack of opportunity for nonwhite actors. "When I started in the business, I mean, it was like there was one or two or three roles that came up and everybody and their mother — meaning a woman of color, if it was for a woman of color — were trying out for that role. ... I can remember feeling that there just wasn't enough," she said.
Sister, Sister premiered in 1994
After years of auditions and a few appearances on television shows, Tia and Tamera Mowry were finally discovered by Irene Dreayer, co-executive producer of "Sister, Sister." On the show, they played twins who were separated at birth and reunited as teenagers. The series was a smash hit; Tia and Tamera achieved fame when they were still in high school. Tia, Tamera, and rest of the "Sister, Sister" cast brought the laughs to the small screen for six seasons.
As their stars continued to rise, the Mowry twins continued to deal with discrimination. As Tia recalled in a 2020 interview with ET, "My sister and I, we wanted to be on the cover of this very popular magazine. We were told that we couldn't be on the cover of the magazine because we were Black and we would not sell."
Additionally, going from being "regular" kids to household names was a lot to get used to. As Tamera said in an October 2022 interview with Parade, "Even though we were at the height of our careers, you still have this yearning to be normal. Like, I just wanted to walk down the street and just be. But I am grateful because if it weren't for the fans our show wouldn't have been what it was, and what it still is. That's what's insane. This show is still kicking butt, it's crazy."
Tia and Tamera Mowry graduated from college in 2003
When the final episode of "Sister, Sister" aired, Tia and Tamera Mowry were 21 years old. They'd also enrolled at Pepperdine University, attending part-time while filming "Sister, Sister" so they could fall back on their studies while they figured out their next move. "We didn't make any announcements that said, 'Look at us, we're adults.' Like being thrown in magazines with no clothes on. ... Tamera and I didn't," Tia told Vibe in 2011. "We grew up, we stepped away for a moment and went to college."
After graduating with degrees in psychology in 2003, the work was slow to come in. After spending their teen years working nonstop, this was a tough adjustment. On a November 2021 episode of "The School of Greatness" podcast, Tamera remarked, "I was like, 'Oh, what now? Like, what am I going to do?' I had this conversation with myself where I was like, I achieved so much so young. I have so much life to live. I guess this is it. I guess I just achieved it." In 2004, Tia secured a place in the animated "Bratz" franchise and Tamera nabbed a recurring role in "Strong Medicine."
They began acting together again in 2005
Once Tia and Tamera Mowry were back to working in Hollywood, they reunited for a Disney Channel Original Movie. The sisters starred in 2005's "Twitches," a flick about twin witches who had been separated at birth and reunited. It became an instant favorite among Disney fans and the sequel, "Twitches Too," was released a couple years later.
Looking back on the "Twitches" franchise, Tamera told People in 2020 that the movies hold a special place in her heart. "Before I even did 'Twitches,' I loved 'Halloweentown,' I loved 'Hocus Pocus,' you know? Those were like staples for me. So to have Twitches be a classic. I feel very honored," she said. "It makes me want to do something again with my sister. I feel like there's always magic when we're together." Fans of the movies have wanted a third installment for many years, and while there aren't any plans yet, Tamera said she'd love to collaborate on the third "Twitches" movie with another pair of famous twins: Chloe and Halle Bailey.
Tia and Tamera Mowry's paths diverged again
After "Twitches Too," Tia and Tamera Mowry shared the screen in the Lifetime movie "Double Wedding" and the book series "Twintuition." However, their careers split around 2007, leading the twins to forge their own paths. During a 2021 "Windy City Live" appearance, Tia touched on how tricky it was for the sisters to spread their wings and go their own ways. "It was hard at first. And I think because we didn't allow ourselves to be individuals," she said. "You know, growing up in this business together and being successful together. ... We started to see how we're great together, but we're also great as individuals."
While Tia landed recurring roles in shows like "The Game," "Instant Mom," and several Lifetime and Hallmark movies, her sister found her own success. Tamera secured a recurring role on "Roommates," "Things We Do for Love," worked on many Lifetime and Hallmark movies, and served as a co-host on "The Real" for seven years.
Tia Mowry got married in 2008
While filming "Hollywood Horror" in the year 2000, Tia Mowry met Cory Hardict and the two took their time to get to know one another. She told OK! magazine in 2013, "I just held out. We weren't physical, we didn't do anything for a while to make sure this was something special and this was something real. ... We courted each other for about a year. We didn't go on dates with just him and I, there were other people around. We waited a year to kiss."
Many years later, Mowry and Hardict got married in a beautiful ceremony in 2008. They welcomed their first child, a son named Cree, in 2011. Their daughter Cairo was born in 2018. The Hollywood couple seemed as happy as could be and often shared heartfelt posts of one another on social media. But sadly, their relationship wasn't meant to last. Mowry and Hardict filed for divorce in October 2022, citing "irreconcilable differences," after 15 years of marriage.
During a November 2022 interview on "Today," Mowry spoke fondly of her time with her ex-husband, saying, "My marriage was a success. I look at it as like a curriculum. ... You're learning, you're growing, you're evolving, you're creating, and I was able to create with Cory some beautiful, amazing children. And at the end of that curriculum ... there's a graduation, there's a celebration."
They had a reality show in 2011
Despite being in show business since they were kids, Tia and Tamera Mowry didn't really put their personal lives out there — that is, until their reality show "Tia & Tamera" debuted in August 2011 on The Style Network. As Tamera told Digital Spy in September 2011, "We've been very private, which I think has been great. ... We thought now would be a great time to give back to our fans, to let us show the world who we really are."
"Tia & Tamera" followed the celebrity twins as they juggled their professional careers, family life, and relationship with one another. The show aired for three seasons before Tia and Tamera decided to call it quits, partly due to the fact that The Style Network became Esquire, giving the sisters a chance to evaluate the future of "Tia & Tamera."
In a 2013 interview with Essence, the twins touched on how it wasn't exactly easy to dive into the reality TV game. "Having a camera in your home 12 months out of the year for eight hours or 12 hours a day is a lot of work," Tia stated. Tamera added, "I came to a point where I thought the universe was giving my sister and I the chance to say if we wanted to move on or not. ... I didn't want [my son] on camera all the time." So with that, the sisters wrapped up filming and moved on to other projects.
Tamera Mowry got married in 2011
In January 2005, Tamera Mowry went on her first date with Adam Housley, a Fox News correspondent, at a P.F. Chang's after being set up by her college economics professor. Despite initially wanting to focus on her career over love, they fell for one another and, after dating for six years, tied the knot in 2011 at a stunning vineyard in Napa Valley, California. A year later, they welcomed their son Aden to the world. Mowry and Housley's daughter Ariah arrived in 2015, making them a beautiful family of four.
After celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary, Mowry told Fox News in October 2011, "I am happily married and it's because of communication, honesty ... and realizing that in your 10th year of marriage you might have different needs than you did in your first, second or third, and it's important to communicate that need." Today, Mowry and Housley are still happily married and going strong.
They launched their own company in 2013
After Tia and Tamera Mowry started their own families, they branched out from television and film to start their own company, NEED Brands. In a 2013 Forbes interview, Tia explained that owning a company with her sister had been a dream since high school, but it took some time to realize what they would specialize in. "While pregnant (and even post pregnancy) we became very aware of products that we both needed as new moms that did not exist to the public yet. The goal became to help moms out there who were 'in need,' which has sort of become the mission statement for our company," she said.
Tia and Tamera introduced two products along with their brand's launch. Milky is a lactation-promoting herbal tea for new moms, filled with natural and organic ingredients. The twins also promoted Stretchy, a moisturizer intended to reduce the stretch marks pregnancy can cause.
In the aforementioned Forbes interview, Tamera added that their platform helped them launch NEED, but that their products speak for themselves. "I think what is going to make our products successful is that they are actually products that moms and babies need, which is why our company is called NEED. ... I think that if the NEED brand continues to supply the marketplace with products that are actually useful and innovative, our product line will continue to be a success," she said.
Tia Mowry has had a successful solo career
Tia Mowry has evolved dramatically since her time as a fresh-faced 15-year-old playing opposite her twin on "Sister, Sister." She has established herself as a talented actor without relying too heavily on her twin, landed guest spots on shows, including "Man With a Plan" and "A Black Lady Sketch Show," and starred in several movies. Mowry also tried her hand at reality television after "Tia & Tamera" went off the air, guest judging "RuPaul's Drag Race: All-Stars," competing on "Celebrity Family Feud," and hosting her own web series, for which she won best reality personality / host at The Webby Awards in 2019.
As much as Mowry has loved forging her own career, she told ET in October 2019 that she and Tamera often talk about working together. "We're always like, 'What is that next thing?' It's about finding the right thing and then also finding something that's fitting our schedules because she's on 'The Real' and that's a very intense schedule," Mowry explained. She added that, while she's open to working with Tamera and her brother on another movie, a "Sister, Sister" reboot is unlikely.
Tamera Mowry has continued working on her own projects
Tamera Mowry has also seen success in her solo career since breaking away from joint projects with her sister. With nearly a dozen TV movies under her belt, guest roles on shows like "Hollywood Darlings" and "Daytime Divas," and a Daytime Emmy win, the former "The Real" co-host has been keeping busy. She has also hopped into the reality competition show world, duking it out with other costumed celebs on "The Masked Singer" and hosting shows like "Baker's Dozen," "Table Wars," and "Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge."
In October 2020, Mowry even hinted at a potential shift in her career focus while speaking with Oprah Daily. "I want to sing so badly. I want to do like a Christmas album, an inspirational album. ... I've got to just find the time. That's not something that I want to just throw out. I want it to be my baby. I want it to be the only thing that I'm focusing on, and I know that if it's in the cards for me to do it, I know God will present the opportunity," she remarked.
They still have a very close bond
Though they no longer do everything together, Tia and Tamera Mowry still share a very close bond. In January 2014, the twins spoke about their psychic connection while on "Larry King Now." Tamera remarked, "The only thing we can't do is feel each other's pain. Like, if I pinch myself." Tia quickly went on to add, "But I know what she's thinking right now. She can't hide anything from me, and vice versa." This "twin telepathy," as some call it, has kept the Mowry sisters connected over many years.
The longest time the sisters had spent apart was during the coronavirus pandemic, during which Tia told ET in 2020 that she hadn't seen Tamera in over six months. However, they kept in touch as best they could, as Tia added, "Every two weeks, we Zoom each other and we have happy hour. We have a glass of wine, we talk about what's been happening. I mean, we text almost every other day. But there's something about visually seeing your loved one, but there's something even better, obviously, just the human connection and touch — and hug and I just I can't wait to do that."
While "Sister, Sister" will always hold a special place in our hearts, it's exciting to see Tia and Tamera grow as individuals in their careers. And, knowing they're still as close as ever makes their reunions all the more heartwarming.