Actresses Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry-Housley are best known for their successful ’90s sitcom “Sister, Sister,” but both of the twins originally had their sights set on securing a role on another highly successful sitcom.
While interviewing with Buzzfeed, Tia revealed that she and Tamera auditioned for the role of Will Smith’s youngest cousin, Ashley Banks, on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
“I was going in for Tatyana Ali. My sister and I both auditioned for that role, but we didn’t get it. But we’re glad we didn’t get it, because we probably wouldn’t have done ‘Sister, Sister,’ ” said the mother of two. The role ultimately went to fellow child star Tatyana Ali.
The identical twins stepped onto the scene with “Sister, Sister” in 1994. The show ended in 1999 after a six-season run, with a cast that included Jackée Harry, Tim Reid, singer Marques Houston and several others through the years.
Tia, 42, went on to find sitcom success on BET’s “The Game,” Neftlix’s “Family Reunion,” and several other made-for-television films alongside her sister. Tamera, however, also added daytime television co-host to her resume with her six seasons on “The Real.”
While two decades have passed since the former child stars first rocked their curly tresses and overalls, love for the sitcom has not wavered. In fact “Sister, Sister’s” cult-like following helped the show land on Nielsen’s most streamed shows list in 2020 after landing on Netflix.
“To see the younger generation loving it just as much as our generation did, it’s really cool to relive that moment,” said Tamera. “I think in a way [we’re] experiencing why something becomes a classic.”
The love audiences have for the ’90s sitcom is the very reason the cast was more than willing to entertain a reboot. But before the show was able to make it out, legal issues halted the process.
“What’s in the way is the rights…I hate to say it, but it’s kind of dead,” said Tia while speaking with PEOPLE. “Nothing’s going on right now, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not going to happen at all. Never say never.”
