Tahj Mowry became a heartthrob by accident. The actor initially just wanted to share his love of fitness on social media. But then the Instagram likes and flirtatious DMs came pouring in. “It’s funny to me,” he says of his social media fame, his smile curling bashfully. “Obviously, it feels great to be admired by peers and people who enjoy watching you on television.”
By Jessica Andrews
Photography By Anna Koblish
Tahj Mowry
Is Reinventing Himself For the Instagram Era
TAHJ MOWRY, DEREK THELER, JEAN-LUC BILODEAU, and ALI/SUSANNE HARTMAN on the set of ABC Family’s “Baby Daddy,” 2012; getty images/Randy Holmes
TAHJ MOWRY and MARY-KATE/ASHLEY olsen on the set of “full house,” 1992; getty images/ABC Photo Archives
Tahj Mowry at the “Are We Done Yet?” Los Angeles Premiere, 2007; getty images/M. Tran
Tahj Mowry and sisters Tia and Tamera Mowry at the 31st Annual NAACP Image Awards, 2000; getty images/Ron Galella, Ltd.
The roles he’s most well-known for are forever embedded in our cultural canon. Alongside the aforementioned “Smart Guy,” Mowry played the quirky contractor Danny Pulu in “Are We Done Yet?”; Michelle Tanner’s adorable best friend, Teddy, on “Full House”; and the lovable, nerdy Willie Donovan in “Seventeen Again.” His Disney stint — guest starring as Brandon in “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” and voicing Wade in “Kim Possible,” among other roles — was just as memorable. “I think when you’re a kid and you’re a fan of Disney, and then you can get to be a part of it, it’s the coolest thing ever,” he says, beaming. “This wasn’t just another job for me. These were the movies that I’m running home from school to watch every month.” All those memories come rushing back on the set of Popsugar’s Aughts Effect cover shoot, where Mowry is reunited with several stars from the same universe: Monique Coleman, Daniella Monet, and Sabrina Bryan. He brings his signature infectious vibes to set: cracking up crew members, getting into deep conversations with the other cover stars over lunch, sporting a shiny orange vinyl jacket with easy charisma. “For a lot of the group shots, we were just laughing hysterically the whole time because the joke’s like, ‘Dang, y’all, we kind of old,’” he says. “But then the punchline: we still look good, though, right?”
Photos: anna koblish; Tahj wears a Willy Chavarria ropita shrunken hoodie, Skims white cotton rib tank top, Rick Owens mega strapped geth black jeans, and ASICS ACK Gel-1130 sneakers via FWRD, Laura Lombardi silver suona necklace worn as wallet chain, talent’s own earrings and necklace
There’s a great sense of accomplishment that comes with being part of this club — and, perhaps more importantly, surviving the darker side of stardom in the 2000s. Anyone who was tapped into celebrity culture remembers how beloved child stars were unwittingly turned into tabloid fixtures. Casual missteps were covered ruthlessly in gossip magazines and on daytime talk shows, and in the most extreme cases, the immense pressure led to mental-health struggles and substance abuse. When I ask Mowry what kept him grounded through this time, he grows pensive. The answer is threefold. No. 1, he says, is his faith. Then, there was the time he largely stepped away from Hollywood during his high school and college years: “I was able to be a regular kid, go to prom.” Finally, he credits his parents with helping him stay focused and levelheaded. “I grew up with two military parents, so they’re not playing games at home,” he says. “I have no choice but to be humble.”
It’s no secret that Mowry comes from a famous family: he’s the little brother of identical twins Tia and Tamera, who were iconic as a duo in “Sister Sister” and “Twitches,” and went on to star in “The Game” and co-host “The Real,” respectively. They also have a younger brother, Tavior, who’s a musician. Despite all the accolades, Tahj promises his family is “regular.” “When we’re together, it’s family time: you can just take off your shoes, take off your socks, make fun of each other. Like, ‘Get out my face, your breath stinks,’” he laughs. This tight bond with his siblings has led to Mowry’s most significant and beloved role: uncle. “People call me super uncle,” he declares, proudly. “I have a different connection with each [of my nieces and nephews]. And I think from a young age, I was able to communicate with them in a different way than their parents might.” As “super uncle,” he’s creating new family traditions — including a staycation at his house for Thanksgiving. “The nieces and nephews have a couple days just at Uncle Tahj’s house. No parents. And we’ll watch movies, we’ll go out, we eat well, so they love that.” The wheels are already turning as he thinks ahead to November: “I need to film that more,” he decides. “People will flip.”
You get the impression that Mowry likes keeping his fans on their toes; beyond Instagram, he’s branching out. For one, he’s writing two feature films that, perhaps unexpectedly, draw inspiration from the likes of M. Night Shyamalan and Quentin Tarantino. He says he’d also love to star as an action movie hero or rom-com love interest (opposite Keke Palmer, ideally). The possibilities are endless, but Mowry can’t help but to return to what he knows well. He teases that he’s also producing a TV project with the same “comedy, sitcom vibes” he’s well known for — he wants to “bring back those types of shows that we grew up watching.” In the end, that type of nostalgia has an important impact, he says: “I think that’s what the world needs right now, a little bit of escapism.”
Photo: anna koblish
Creative Credits
Photographer: Anna Koblish
Videographer: Mike Dalton
Associate Creative Director: Emily Zirimis
Senior Visuals Designer: Summer Bockart
Social Media Design Coordinator: Sara Abdelbarry
Animation Designer: Luke Irwin
Stylist: Ali Claire Marino
Makeup Artist: Amy Galibut
Makeup Assistant: Romana “Romie” Macedo
HairStylist: Berenz Castro
Hair Assistant: Jasmine Bagley
Groomer: Colleen Dominique
Lighting Director: Byron Nickleberry
1st Photo Assistant: Morganne Boulden
2nd Photo Assistant: Layla Williams
Digitech: Tara Raine
Photo Retoucher: Alberto Maro
Stylist Assistant: Kassidy Taylor
Tailor: Egle Paulauskaite
Production: Dunwell Production
Executive Producer: Caroline Santee Hughes
Producer & prop stylist: Andre Shahjanian
Assistant Director of production: Becca Weston
Production Assistant: Kurtis Scott
Production Assistant: Francesca Ferraro
Editorial Credits
Editor-in-Chief: Kelsey Castañon
Senior Director of Special Projects: Lena Felton
Cover Story Writer: Jessica Andrews
Senior Style Director: Jessica Andrews
Director of Audience Development: Kaitlin Hatton
Managing Editor: Karen Snyder Duke
Supervising Producer: Jordan Shalhoub
Audience Development Manager: Charisandra Perez
Associate Social Talent Manager: Mia Marquez
Editorial Operations Coordinator: Caitlin Oates
Photo: anna koblish
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