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So the new reality show Tia and Tamera premiered on Style Network on Wednesday night (16 November) at 21h15. It stars Sister Sister child star twins Tia and Tamera Mowry - who've both added their hubbies' surnames to their "Mowry".

Tamera recently became Mowry-Housley after marrying her longtime boyfriend Adam Housley - who we met in the premiere. The season follows the couple's wedding preparations and the wedding itself while Tia (who's now Mowry-Hardrict) prepares for the arrival of her first nipper.

Tamera's been in South Africa this week to chat about the series so I caught up with her for a chinwag:

Tia and Tamera starred in Sister Sister for four years: they were 17 when the series debuted.

Tashi: You often hear of child stars struggling to maintain their stardom as adults - was it a struggle for you and Tia?
Tamera: I would say it was definitely a struggle because you kind of get branded as a child. Fortunately for Tia and I we haven't really changed - we're older but we still look the same.

Unfortunately people kind of pin you in this though: "Oh, she's just a kid." Well, not really. We're 33 now and at first it was difficult for people to see us as adults.

When you go on auditions and stuff, they're like: "Mmmm, can she play this role?" and you're like, "You called for 28-year-old and I'm 30, I can play a 28-year-old."

But I have to say we kind of gradually made the shift into adult actors 'cos we allowed ourselves to just live. We didn't force the press or our audience and fans to see that we're adults. We didn't have to do a movie where we were on a stripper pole.

We didn't have to do a movie where were like: "Look at me, I'm an adult now, let me take off my clothes." We didn't want to do that, we wanted it to happen naturally and I think that's why we transitioned into adult actors successfully.

I think that's been one of the really positive responses to the show because people are like: "It's so great to see who Tia and Tamera really are now."

Tashi: Who's your all time favourite forgotten child star?
Tamera: I mean Corey Haim was an amazing actor when he was younger. He was one of my favourites. He was forgotten and it's why he downspiralled and is no longer with us.

I think what happens is, you get this fame and notoriety at a very young age and when it's gone no-one knows of you anymore. They don't know what to do with themselves because you identify who you are as a person with that. When it's no longer there they feel like they're no longer important, when in reality they are.

The business should not define who you are as a person. It's easy to get sucked into that - I did at one point but thank God I have amazing people around me who showed me the other way. I also have an amazing relationship with God that helped me as well.

Corey Haim was considered the highest profile teen in tinseltown in the late 1980's as a result of his starring roles in movies. He struggled with drug addiction from 15 and died from pneumonia when he was 39.

Tia's currently starring the comedy series The Game. Tamera starred in the medical drama Strong Medicine between 2004 and 2006.

Tashi: When one of you has a starring role and the other doesn't - is there professional competitiveness between you?
Tamera: I think I'd be lying if I said there weren't any competition. What Tia and I find is it's more of a friendly - not competition - more, we inspire the other so whenever we see one working we're like "Wow." Because we're twins and we look alike we actually help each other out. You'll see with the show, we're quite different.

I think that's what I loved about doing the show - you see that we're two completely different people. As an actor you want to bring a little bit of that into your acting so we can audition for the same role and spin it differently. So long as it's one of the Mowry girls - we're fine.

T&T's mom's from the Bahamas and their dad's from the UK.

Adam and Tamera met through Tamera's college professor seven years ago. Adam was friends with the professor, saw Tamera's pic and said: "Introduce us."

Tashi: In the premiere you mention the prejudice directed towards yourself and Adam because of your interracial relationship. Have you always experienced prejudice because of your interracial family?
Tamera: No, actually, that's the thing. I was raised in a very loving home. Not only that, I was raised within the army - they call them the barracks - government housing and a lot of people in the army are of mixed races.

I grew up next to Portuguese, Cubans, so many people. Once we got out of that I realised: "Oh my gosh, people still have prejudice's." It really shocked me more than anything.

What's so interesting though is that in South Africa it's completely different. In America it's all about: "Why's this black girl marrying this white guy?" whereas in South Africa I feel as though people don't see me as black, they see me as a mixed race.

I think it's a great educational segment about what kind of thing goes on in America for people who don't live in the States.

Tashi: What's the best thing about growing up in an interracial family?
Tamera: I think the positive thing is that you get the best of both worlds, like I didn't realise my father was white until someone told me in junior high. They were like: "Your dad's white?" I was like: "Oh my gosh, he is." We just weren't raised to look at colour to define a human being. We looked at human beings to define who they are, their characteristics, how they treat people. Personally I loved it.

I got to know my mom's side of the family - she's from the Bahamas - and then I got to see like ... well, I didn't get to see my dad's side - that's a whole 'nother story.

Tashi: Why?
Tamera: They kind of ostracised my dad for marrying a black woman. Unfortunately that kind of stuff still goes on.

Tashi: I was going to ask what the most difficult thing is and I suppose that's it? Not only the prejudice from outside the family, but the prejudice from within as well?
Tamera: Yeah, you have some families who are completely fine with it - our family's completely mixed and we're all fine with it. You have some families who are and some who aren't. The cool thing is I never really missed my grandfather on my dad's side because I had so much love coming from my mom's side.


Tashi: What's your fave reality show?
Tamera: My version of reality that I love to watch is like Project Runway. I love her (Heidi Klum) and I love Kimora because I love fashion so I love them.

Tashi: What are your future acting aspirations?
Tamera: I'd love to do a really dramatic role where people don't even recognise me. Something that's very challenging dramatically. Then I'd love to do a romantic comedy just because I'm a romantic comedy - I'm a romantic at heart and I just love comedy. South Africans really think I'm funny, that's the coolest thing.

Ends

New episodes air on TSN weekly at 21h15, for an eight episode first season. A second season has been confirmed for a 2012 premiere.

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