Tia showed she was all grown up in her sexy, funny, and dramatic role on the hit series "The Game." After playing "Melanie" for five seasons on the show and co-starring on her own reality show with her twin sister Tamera on Style Network "Tia and Tamera," Tia showed the many sides of her as a actress, sister, businesswoman, wife and mom.
After leaving BET's "The Game" last year, Tia now stars in the Nickelodeon sitcom "Instant Mom" where she plays a smart and sassy step mom. She sat down with Rolling Out to talk about her new show, balancing her career and motherhood, and being on reality TV. She what she had to say below:
On the Nickeloden show "Instant Mom"
“What attracted me to the role in the script was I felt that there was a void. [There was] a lack of programming that families could sit down and watch. Right now, you see television shows that are predominantly focused on kids that adults can’t watch or shows for adults that kids can’t watch. It kinda causes this division within the family when you’re talking about sitting down and watching television as a family. This did remind me of those times when we would sit down as a family and watch the ‘The Cosby Show’ and ‘Family Matters.’ I have to credit Nickelodeon for allowing diversity. And with that said, this isn’t a show that’s just for African Americans."She adds
"This is a show that sees no color and that’s what reminded me of ‘Sister, Sister.’ It was universal. It was a show about a black family that black families could relate to, but not only black families — all families. I think that’s what makes a smart show because that’s what the world is. We’re constantly interacting with different cultures and different races. Isn’t television supposed to depict reality? I felt very privileged and excited to be a part of a show that shows African Americans in a positive life, in a healthy relatable light, and smart kids. I thank Nickelodeon for allowing that platform.”
The misconceptions of her on "Tia and Tamera"
“I don’t necessarily focus on misconceptions that the public has of me. I live my life for myself and my family. I don’t allow other people’s opinions and perceptions of me to validate who I am,”
“I think people think [I have] a strong personality. But that’s just part of me, it’s not all of me. I do have a sensitive side. I have an edgy side — but I also have a side that likes to be a princess sometimes. When you do reality shows, people tend to put you in a box. People would depict me as the more aggressive twin or I’m the stronger personality between the two. But it’s very scary to allow other people’s opinions and views of you to validate who you are [so] it’s definitely not something that I focus on.”
Balancing motherhood with son Cree and business
“It’s very hard to balance family and career. When you are a mother, it’s hard in general. Being a mother is a 24-hour job — you’re constantly taking care of another person. But when you’re a working mom and a wife, it adds other pieces to the pie. I have all of these pieces that I have to try and cut evenly and divide. But some parts of my life are going to have a bigger piece or a smaller piece. Motherhood has taught me that I really am a patient person."We love Tia. Instant Mom comes on evenings on Nick Mom. Catch her full interview in the latest version of Rolling Out!
Source: Via Rolling Out
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