Tia Mowry-hardrict


Actor

About

Also Known As
Tia Mowry, Tia Dashon Mowry
Birth Place
Gelnhausen, Hessen, DE
Born
July 06, 1978

Biography

One-half of a child acting duo beloved by scores of teen fans during the 1990s, Tia Mowry went on to enjoy continued success as an adult in a variety of projects. As a teenager, she and her two-minutes older twin sister, Tamera, became instant celebrities as the stars of the hit comedy show, "Sister, Sister" (ABC, 1994-95; The WB, 1995-99). After the popular sitcom ended its six-season r...

Biography

One-half of a child acting duo beloved by scores of teen fans during the 1990s, Tia Mowry went on to enjoy continued success as an adult in a variety of projects. As a teenager, she and her two-minutes older twin sister, Tamera, became instant celebrities as the stars of the hit comedy show, "Sister, Sister" (ABC, 1994-95; The WB, 1995-99). After the popular sitcom ended its six-season run, Mowry continued to work with her sibling in cable movies like "Seventeen Again" (Showtime, 2000) and "Twitches" (Disney Channel, 2005). The talented actress also found solo success as the star of the comedy-drama "The Game" (The CW, 2006-09; BET, 2011-15), a show that, despite its temporary cancellation and subsequent network relocation, flourished with its relaunch. One of the more successful post-"Sister, Sister" collaborations between Mowry and her twin was their entry into reality television as the focus of "Tia & Tamera" (Style Network, 2011-13), a project which proved to be a substantial hit for the cable network. Proving that she and her sister were more than a mere novelty act, Mowry embraced a vibrant career, both with and without her biological mirror image.

Tia Dashon Mowry was born on July 6, 1978 in Gelhausen, West Germany, two minutes after Tamera. Her father Tim was a retired army sergeant. Her mother Darlene also worked for the military but went on to manage the twins' careers. Other siblings included two brothers, Tahj and Tavior. The family moved around constantly, settling in Fort Hood, TX when Mowry was two years old, then Honolulu, HA, and then back to Texas, where the twins competed in pageants. The acting bug bit them shortly thereafter, and the twins begged their parents to move to California. When the family finally relocated to the Golden State, it was brother Tahj who landed a recurring role on the hit comedy series "Full House" (ABC, 1987-1995). Mowry appeared on the show in 1992 for an episode titled "The Devil Made Me Do It," playing the same character as her sister.

In 1994, producer Irene Dreayer came up with a new show about twin sisters who got separated at birth and reunited as teens. Dreayer discovered the Mowry twins and cast them in the starring roles for "Sister, Sister." Jackee Harry and Tim Reid played the twins' parents. The show aired for six seasons and enjoyed a longtime syndication run. Mowry enjoyed working with her twin and their comedic chemistry was evident on screen. While filming "Sister, Sister," the Mowry twins starred alongside brother Tahj in the movie "Seventeen Again" (2000). The story of a grandmother who drank a special formula that turned her 17 again, resulted in lots of laughs for both the audience and the cast. It was a delight to watch the three Mowry siblings showcase their acting talents. Education was always a big part of Mowry's life. She attended Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, CA. In 2001, Mowry graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California with a degree in Psychology, along with her sister. They spent the summer of 2001 at the university's campus in Florence, Italy.

Mowry and her sister hit the big time in 2002 by joining the cast of "The Hot Chick." The comedy starred "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ) alum Rob Schneider and Rachel McAdams, but it was the twins who lit up the screen every time they appeared. The next year, Mowry scored a voice role for "Bratz Rock Angels" (2005), a straight-to-DVD release marketed towards adolescent girls. Mowry provided the voice of the character of Sasha. She went on to do more movies for the franchise, including "Bratz: Forever Diamondz" (2006) and "Bratz: Babyz" (2006). In 2005, Mowry and her sister filmed the movie "Twitches" (Disney Channel). The plot was very similar to "Sister, Sister," with a magical twist. They were twin witches who got separated at birth. Mowry played Camryn Barnes/Apolla. Kristen Wilson played the girls' mother, even though in reality, she was only nine years older than them.

Love was in full bloom for Mowry in 2006, when her boyfriend of six years, actor Corey Hartwyck of "The 70's House" fame (MTV, 2005) proposed to her. Another highlight of her year was when she got cast in "The Game," a spin-off of the series "Girlfriends" (The CW, 2000-08). Playing a football player's wife, Mowry found a more mature role, but remained in comedy. Her sister, on the other hand, went a different route. Tamera had a recurring role in the Lifetime drama series "Strong Medicine" (2000-06), where Mowry made a guest appearance in the 2006 episode titled "My Sister, My Doctor, Myself." Mowry would next appear in "The American Standards," a family drama about Alzheimer's disease, starring James Brolin. She worked with her sister, once again, in a movie titled "Hollywood Horror." Critics and fans agreed that watching Mowry and her sister work together would always be a double treat.

Mowry reteamed with her sister for more magic, misunderstandings and mistaken identities in the sequel "Twitches Too" (Disney, 2007), followed by another turn opposite Tamera in the romantic comedy "Double Wedding" (Lifetime, 2010) as one of two twins who discover they are both in a serious relationship with the same man. Fortune smiled on Tia and her castmates from "The Game" the following year. Cancelled by the network after its restructuring in 2009, the show was picked up by BET network in 2010. When "The Game" (BET, 2011-15) relaunched in January of 2011, it broke cable TV ratings records and was promptly renewed for another season. Tia partnered with her sister once again - this time as themselves - for the reality series "Tia & Tamera" (Style Network, 2011-13), which tracked the progress of Tamera's upcoming nuptials as Tia coped with her first pregnancy. It seemed the twins were on to something, as the show boasted record-breaking ratings for the cable network with its premiere episode. In June of 2011, Mowry and her husband Cory Hardict gave birth to a son, Cree Taylor.

Life Events

1988

Appeared jumping "Double Dutch" in an ad for Chrysler Motors with sister

1994

With twin sister Tamera, starred on The WB sitcom "Sister, Sister"

1999

Voiced Lemonjella LaBelle for the the Kids' WB cartoon series "Detention"

2002

With sister, played cheerleaders in the movie "The Hot Chick"

2005

Voiced Sasha on the Fox 4Kids cartoon series "Bratz"

2005

With sister, starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie "Twitches"

2006

Cast in a starring role on The CW series "The Game"

2006

Appeared on an episode of her sister's television show "Strong Medicine" (Lifetime)

2007

Reprised role for sequel "Twitches Too"

2011

Co-starred with sister on reality series "Tia & Tamera" (Style)

Family

Darlene Mowry
Mother
US Army veteran. Black.
Timothy Mowry
Father
First sergeant in US Army. White.
Tamera Mowry
Sister
Actor. Twin, stars with Tia in TV show "Sister, Sister".
Tahj Mowry
Brother
Actor. Born 1986, appeared on the sitcom "Full House" and "Smart Guy".
Tavior Mowry
Brother
Born c. 1993.

Bibliography