Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 4, 1994 TAG: 9404020134
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: EXTRA 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
"_ because it helps us with our characters," said Tia, finishing her sister's sentence. "Say, for instance, my Mom's calling, `Tia! Get your butt down here!' It feels like it's really my mom."
This sentence-weaving frequently occurs in conversation with the two 15-year-old Mowrys, whose show debuts tonight on ABC.
They play Tamera Campbell and Tia Landry, twins separated at birth with no knowledge of each other. Jackee Harry ("227") plays Tia's adoptive mom, and Tim Reid ("Frank's Place") is Tamera's adoptive dad.
Tia's character comes from urban, blue-collar beginnings; Tamera's is suburban and privileged.\ Tia is neat; Tamera, sloppy. On this point, life imitates art. On all else, quite the reverse is true, the twins insist:
"Tamera Campbell is really Tia, in real life," said Tamera. "I'm the outgoing one on the show, but Tia is in real life."
To see them in Levis, taupe jerseys, earth tone print vests and floppy brimmed hats _ front pinned up, "Poetic Justice"-style, by a lace rose _ nibbling on fries and chattering like ordinary teen-age girls, makes you wish that all 15-year-olds could be so calm, cheerful, poised, patient, charming and ... ordinary. Ah, well. These teens are not ordinary.
And this twin thing: The eye sweeps between them despairingly for differences. There are few.
Tamera has a tiny mole on her left cheekbone. "But they make Tia wear one for the show!" says Tamera, laughing. Tia's face is minutely more oval, but that's about it. And like all twins, they are VERY different people.
"It changes from year to year," said Tia. "I can be down to earth, I can be very intelligent, I can love school ... THIS year! I would say I'm outgoing. I'd say I study more _"
"_ but I get the better scores!" interjects Tamera. (She's endlessly patient: "That's Ta-MARE-ah! Right. Uh-huh. Ta-MARE-ah! Goood!")
"She's more of the mother," said Tia. "She tells people what to do. `When Mom's not around, I'm in charge.' That two minutes? Believe me, she makes the most of it. I'm more of the daring type_" "_ mischievous!" interjects Tamera.
"She worries about everything! I'm calm, cool and collected," said Tia. "You should see her! `Omigosh, Tia! We have a test! We have a test!' I'm like, `Calm down!' All my friends say she's the frantic one."
"I'm more down-to-earth. I'm more to myself." Tamera said. "People talk to her more at school. I'm like, in my little box." "Next year, we switch," said Tia. "I'm serious! We've talked to other twins. They say it's the same. That you change back and forth from year to year. It's not a girl thing or a boy thing. It's a twin thing."
Tamera enjoys acting more than Tia.
"She used to do more commercials than I did, right?" Tamera said. "The thing is, commercials are not really acting. You're going berserk: `Omigosh! A Barbie!' I did a lot of theatrical work and I got more experience."
"I think I caught up," Tia said. Tamera nods judiciously. Tia's the better dancer, Tamera's the better singer.
"That's because she had singing lessons and I didn't," counters Tia.
"Two days of signing lesson?" ripostes Tamera.
"Try two WEEKS!
"Try one day a week?" Tia forges a quick compromise: "She likes to sing more than I do," she said. "I like to dance more than she does. That's the difference between us." They have a message for other kids in their generation:
"Reach for your goals. This is what Tia and I wanted. We prayed. We did everything. We put everything into this," Tamera said.
"If you put your all into it, if you don't give up, you'll get it," Tia said. "Don't be afraid," Tamera said. "It takes time, but you will get there. A lot of people are scared of that."
by CNB