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"Tia, there's a problem," her boyfiend says.
"What problem?" asks Tia.
"Your sister."
"What about here?"
"When we hang out together, she's kind of, you know, in the way!"
"Really?"
Tia laughs as she recalls the script of this Sister Sister sticom episode. It's sai that art imitates life, and, in fact,
most of the show's episodes are based on the lives of these nineteen-year old twin sisters, Tia and Tamera Mowry.
"The porducers and writiers of the show wanted it to be as real as possible," explains Tamera, "so that twins can relate to the show." The series, not in its
fifth season, was developed around the Mowrys. "Basically, we have the say-so because we're twins!"
"And alot of people don't know what goes on inside of twins," Tia adds. "I dont think
anybody can understand completely unless they are a twin--or parent of one."
On the show, Tia and Tamera star as seventeen-year-ld identical twins who were separated at birth and raised apart untile Tamera's conservative father and Tia's
outspoken mother decide to live together to reunite their daughters.
"On the show, I'm the smart one, the studious, sensitive, and conservative one," Tia explains. "And Tamera's the mischevious, vibrant, putgoing one."
Ironically in real life Tia and Tamera's personalities are the opposite of their television personas.
"I just watch her and she studies me," laughs Tamera, explaining how they learn to portray their sitcom personalities. She and her sister exchange glances,
turning their heads like two synchronized puppets.
Tia and Tamera's twinship landed them a spot in a classic commercial. "We've been in the Wrigley's Doublemint gum commercial with other twins!" exclaims Tia.
Tia and Tamera pride themselves on their differences-which are more than just the distinguishing mole on Tamera's left cheek.
"We balance eah other out," explains Tia.
"When Tia sees a person out in the street, she'll be the first one to say, 'Hey, what's up?' I have to check them out first. I stay in the cornner and if Tia's fine with them, then okay I'll go along. But I'm always the one cracking jokes. I dont do it on purpose."
c"She'll be giving a serious speech," Tia interrupts, "the she'll make a face, and the whole class is laughing. She's so animated with her face.
"The biggest challenge of being twins is having people see you as individuals," continues Tia. "A lot of times we wouldn't get jobs because we were twins. They didnt want to upset the one who wasnt chosen. One time, the producers liked both of use but they had only one position. So they put both are pictures face down and chose one. We never felt that we got a job because of our talentss. Other times they would tell our agent, 'Just send one of them out for the audition.' That would really hurt our feelings because we are two different people. We dont have one brain. We just look alike, that's all. And that's the hardest thing to establish. It's still a problem today."
"We see ourselves as a team, like Lucy and Ethel," says Tamera. "We were never jealous of one another. But when people say, 'Hey twins,' they are labeling us as one person instead of calling us by our names. You dont say, 'Hey, boy, come here!'"
The Mowry sisters admit that dating as a twin can be more difficult. "Giys dont know which one to choose, and that's a problem," says Tamera. "We always ask them, 'Why were you attracted to me?'"
Tia jumps in, "When guys cant tell us apart or say, 'I'll take both of you,' I say, 'Excuse me, I don't think so! We're different people!' Or, if I go out with somebody and we break up and he tries to ask Tamera out, that's a big no-no." Luckily they have different tastes. "If a giy's not funny or can't dance, I say, 'See ya,'" laughs Tia.
"He's got to be tall," smiles Tamera.
Although these Pepperdine University freshmen bicker like most siblings, they love being twins.
"It's funny-when people look at twins they think something's weird or deifferent because we have this bond. People ask, 'Are you guys for real, or is this fake?' I want people to know that the love we have for each other is real," Tia says.
"It's a bond," explains Tamera. "It's a gift from God."
"We're so much closer than regular siblings," Tia says.
"I think it's because we go through life's trials and tribulations together at the same time," Tamera clarifies.
"And you know how alot of people in school wanted to be popular and tried to fit in? Tamera and I were like 'I have my sister, my built-in best friends.' In high school, we were so close that we had friends, but not best friends. Now, we have one best friend that we share."
They are extremely close, sharing a car, job, and most college classes-and they admit they are avoiding separation.
"Tia and I will deal with it when it happens. I dont know what I'll do, so I dont even want to think about it." Tamera pauses. "Maybe we'll work together, so that way we'll see each other every day."
"The longest time we've been separated was about six hours," says Tia. "When I'm by myself I feel like something's missing. It's like I have to feel her, like, 'Okay, she's here.' Even when I had a boyfriend, when i was out with him, I felt incomplete. He just didn't add up to my sister."
They devised a system on dates. "She would page me," explains Tamera, "and say, 'How are you doing?' so I could feel that closeness. My boyfriend really didnt understand it."
"I was jealous of him and he was jealous of me," admits Tia. "I don't know how we're going to do it when we get married. Someone said that we have to get boyfriends at the same time."
Tia and Tamera smile as the recall some unique twin experiences.
"One time we were in a store and I though I was looking in a mirrow, but it was my sister!" exclaims Tia.
"The freakiest thing that Tia and I have noticed about being twins," says Tamera, "is that we have the same nightmares. It's happened all our lives."
"And we were suprised when we had an earthquake," Tia recalls. "Usually everyone runs to their mom, but we ran to each other's room instead."
"I wanted to see if she was okay. But it was funny because we collided-boom!"
"She knocked me down," laughs Tia.
Then we went to our mom's room," Tia and Tamera say in unison.
"We talk alot," Tamera admits. "Our publicist and our mother tell us. 'Dont talk at the same time.' We just can't help it. It's literally impossible. It's a twin thing!"
Tia and Tamera have grown up in a close family that encourages honesty, communication, and love. They have two younger brothers, four-year-old Tavior and eleven-year-old Tahj, who both love sports and hope to work in the entertainment business. In fact, Tahj, who had made appearances on Full House and now has his own sitcome, Snart Guys, first introduced his sisters to show biz. Their father, Timothy, is a retired first sergeant in the U.S. Army, and their mother, Darlene, retired as a military drill sergeant to become her daughters' manager in the entertainment business.
Tia and Tamera are proud of their fammily's closeness and unity.
"We say family time is our quality fun time. Every sunday is family day," relates Tamera.
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