tahj mowry

from Rival Mag LA Issue 10 June 2021: Laura Marano

by rivalmagazinela

Bethany joy lenz

Turtleneck: Zara Suit: Vytal Shoes: Reebok

Tahj Tahj Mowry Mowry

Turtleneck: Zara Suit: Vytal Shoes: Reebok

Turtleneck: Zara Suit: Vytal Shoes: Reebok

By: Olivia Vitarelli

Children’s book in hand, a young Tahj Mowry stood before his family and read aloud to them. Well, recited aloud to them. As Tahj said, “my family realized that I was just memorizing the words and not actually reading them yet.” Soon, at just the age of nine, he would put those recitation skills to the test as he starred on the beloved sitcom Smart Guy, playing the role of kid genius T.J. Henderson. The term triple, even quadruple, threat doesn’t seem to encapsulate the multidimensional nature of Mowry’s talent. Since Smart Guy, he went on to star in the People’s Choice Award winning sitcom Baby Daddy, dance in music videos with legends such as Prince, Mariah Carey, and Michael Jackson, release a debut EP, and even co-write and direct an original film.

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Mowry’s stardom and unshakable prominence in the entertainment industry were evident early on. After briefly living in Texas, the actor and his family found themselves in Los Angeles. “I was pretty young when we finally settled down in LA,” Tahj says. “Life was busy with two military parents and lots of auditions between my sisters and I. I have vivid memories of going straight from school to auditions and having to study my lines in the car in lots of LA traffic.” He continues, “I had to try my hardest to not fall asleep on the way there so that I wouldn’t wake up with nap marks on my face before an audition.” age can be challenging, but Mowry quickly identified an outlet: football. “It gave me a chance to take breaks from acting and be ‘normal’ in a sense,” he says of the sport. “There were times where I would leave straight from set to go to my Pop Warner football or track practices. I was able to have the best of both worlds which was really amazing.” After initially pursuing football in college, he says, “something was tugging me back into the entertainment world. I believe I was created for this industry. My passion is entertaining and the arts, so if I don’t do it I feel like I’m incomplete in a sense.” He concludes his explanation for dropping football with perhaps the most convincing reason yet. “It was really cold at the college I was playing at… practice in zero degree weather wasn’t the vibe anymore.”

Football, which Tahj says taught him respect, teamwork, and leadership, wasn’t the only influence molding a set of values for him while growing up. The actor credits his parents and their example as key inspirations. “My parents are two of the hardest working people I know and my work ethic came from them! I had an amazing childhood and I’m so thankful to my parents for instilling core values into us all and for sacrificing everything for our careers.” His parents, who were both in the military, imparted a strong set of values on him and his siblings. Tahj reflects on some of them, noting that “cleanliness and order were huge in our household.” Another prominent value was respecting your elders, which a young

“It honestly was fun,” he says of leading a television show before even living through a full decade. “I had been acting for a while already so I was just doing what I knew how to do and having fun while doing it.” The schedule and responsibility might overwhelm some, but it seemed Tahj thrived in the environment. “I’ve always liked working and being busy even at a young age. My mom made sure the set atmosphere was comfortable for me as well and I had a great balance of work and being a regular kid. So I’m thankful to both parents for that!” Now, having distance from the project in the ways of experience and revolutions around the sun, Tahj has a greater appreciation for the poise, confidence, and skill that such a task demanded of his younger self. “When I think about it as an adult now I’m like ‘damn. I actually did that.’”

The feat, inarguably impressive, was made to look easy by Mowry’s natural knack for comedy. “I feel like it was just in me. Truly a gift from God,” he says of this comedic instinct, an internal mechanism necessary to a sitcom’s main player. “I understand comedy and timing in a very deep way.” It’s in the actor’s nature to cater to laughs. Before Smart Guy ever graced televisions across America, Tahj stood in front of a cluster of industry bigwigs, displaying his infectious charisma to them as he led a pitch meeting. “I would have a ‘bit’ I would do where I would bring my toy cell phone to meetings and push the ring button underneath the table,” he describes, explaining the recurring gimmick that he employed at such meetings. “I would answer the call and tell the fake person on the other end that I was in a meeting and I’d call them back later. I’ve just always had a big personality so as a kid it was just being me.”

Fans will be delighted to hear that a Smart Guy revival is in the works. “I feel so honored and blessed to even be able to even have a conversation about bringing a show and character I played years ago back onto the screen,” Tahj says of the sitcom’s potential return. “To be able to see T.J. as an adult and to see what his family is up to now, and how their relationships and dynamics have evolved will be just as much a treat for me as it will be for the fans.” Tahj goes on to discuss his creative control over the project, revealing, “It’s also an amazing feeling to have so much creative input for how the show will play out as well. The idea we’ve come up with I am sure the fans will love.” While there are no concrete dates set for production or release, Tahj affirms, “we do have a home for it and we do have a writer… fans can be confident in knowing that it will happen. Timing is everything and when While the wait for more Smart Guy might be a bit longer, the call for more Mowry will soon be answered by his upcoming film, Welcome Matt. The story follows writer and director Matt who, after enduring a traumatic experience, develops agoraphobia and becomes afraid to leave his home. “The movie at times is equally hilarious and equally sad and painful to watch,” Tahj comments. “You can be laughing watching a specific scene, then instantly find yourself crying within seconds.” The beauty of a dramedy, Tahj finds, is often its truthfulness. “Life isn’t all the way funny or painful or sad— it can be all of those things and that’s the magic of this film. It’s grounded in that reality and has a great balanced marriage between the drama and comedy.” Mowry goes on to share more about his character. “We see Matt go from a super high point in his life and career to almost literal rock bottom— mentally and physically. Through the course of the film you get to see his rise, his fall, how he deals with pain and anxiety (sometimes in comical ways), and then his triumphant return back to where he needs to be mentally, emotionally, and physically.”

In order to prepare for that character arc, Tahj sought better insight into what Matt might be feeling. The devoted actor elected to stay home and disconnect from society while filming the movie. “I purposely didn’t leave my house unless I was going to work of course— and this was before COVID. I didn’t hang out with anyone either. I wanted to be physically and emotionally disconnected from the world and from people as much as possible, just like Matt is in the film.” Still, Tahj’s connection to Matt extends beyond the now ever-relatable and all too familiar feeling of isolation. “I’ve experienced panic attacks and anxiety before, like Matt,” Tahj comments. “So it was something I could definitely relate to and understand. I had to allow myself to go there mentally and emotionally again for this film in order to become Matt. Some days were very tiring and emotionally and physically draining, but also very therapeutic as well (not to mention super fun because, as I said before, the film is absolutely hilarious at times).” Mowry continues, “Mental health is something that people may not want to talk about, but a lot of the time it can be something that the person next to you may be struggling with as well, and you’d never know. Everyone has experienced anxiety in some way, some more than others. I’m so happy to get this film out there to show that men, and especially men of color, struggle with mental health and anxiety as well, and that there is nothing to be ashamed of.”

The film, as Tahj points out, is an essential conversation starter, helping to end the stigma surrounding mental health,

Outfit: Trendaus

and spread the indisputable truth that everyone’s struggles are valid. “It’s a film about pain, loss, and mental health,” Mowry concludes. “But it’s ultimately about finding the strength necessary to keep going and pushing through into your purpose with the help of those special people in your life.”

Following Welcome Matt’s release in May, Tahj is excited to broaden his genre horizons. “I’d love to explore the more dramatic side of myself in film,” he says. “I’d love to have the freedom and opportunity to express and showcase those other sides of me emotionally.” In the spirit of such exploration, Mowry recently co-wrote a horror film with his writing partner Hal Williams, and while he “can’t give too much away,” he entices us with the broad outline of the film. “It’s a paranormal revenge story. It brings the past into the present and is set in a supernaturally scary yet grounded reality.” In addition to co-writing the film, Tahj will also direct it. “I watch so much film and have been in this business my whole life. I have always wanted to direct so it was bound to happen at some point, and now is that time and I’m so excited about it,” he comments. “I’ve always been a fan of horror films and the emotions they can pull out of a viewer and out of the characters themselves, so I knew the first film I wrote would have to be in that vein.” No matter the various genres and careers he takes on within the industry, Mowry is still that young boy memorizing words in children’s books, eager to entertain. And ultimately, he is loyal to laughter. “I will always find my way back to comedy. There truly isn’t anything quite like giving someone the joy of laughter,” he says. “So many people have told me the shows I’ve done helped them in a dark time, or when they were in the hospital with cancer and a show I was in got them though. That’s why I do what I do. Laughter heals the soul and I’m honored to be able to give that to people as often as I can.”