Tia Mowry reflects on the “pivotal moment” of straightening her hair for the show ‘Sister, Sister.’
We grew up watching Tia and Tamara Mowry in many different movies and TV shows.
Providing their twin sister looks, Sister, Sister was a six-season series that started in 1994. The show did a great job at mirroring everyday life situations that we often can feel close to; if not relate to. In addition to your normal teenage stuff, Tia and Tamara were feeling the pressure of society’s beauty standards behind the scenes.
In a recent interview with Elle, Tia Mowry reflected on the time she and her sister ended up straightening their hair on the later seasons of the show. Additionally, she explains how it impacted both their self-esteem. Having previously worn their natural curls on screen, viewers might have assumed the girls just wanted to try out a new style. However, that wasn’t entirely the case.
Tia Mowry Reveals how Straightening Her Hair Impacted Her Confidence
The Sister, Sister cast member reveals that the straightening damaged her hair and its natural curls. This damage added to her insecurities. Mowry expanded on audition incidents as well. These incidents included her being asked to pull back her hair; apparently, she was told it was “distracting” (side-eyes).
Thankfully, the actress had her mother on her side. In the letter, Tia Mowry shares how their mother’s words helped combat their insecurities.
“When we were younger, it was wonderful being able to wear our natural hair,” Mowry said. “People were always like, ‘Oh, you’re so cute. We love your curls.'” Then, as they entered adulthood, they started to feel pressure to straighten their hair to fit in with what was deemed “beautiful” in Hollywood. “In this business, if I had my hair curly, I was told, ‘Can you pull that back?’ On auditions, I was told, ‘It’s distracting,'” she said.
Luckily, they had their mom’s unwavering support to help lift them up. Tia goes on to thank her mom for coaching them to “not allow this business to define” them. She believes that her words were what “saved” them from “falling into the pit of childhood stardom.”
Before today, there has been a limited representation of black people in the media. It’s upsetting to know actors and actresses had to deal with this kind of thing. Have you ever went through something similar? Let us know in the comments.
