By Thomas Chau

Sister, these girls have grown up...

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At 14 years of age, where most teens had mountain bikes and pigtails, they had one thing: their own major primetime TV series. Since the debut of their smash TV series, "Sister, Sister" during ABC's once famous TGIF time slot, Tia and Tamera Mowry have become one of Hollywood's most recognizable duos.

Six seasons passed and the twins were recognized by their peers when they received the NAACP award for "Outstanding Comedy Actresses in a Comedy Series." Since the show's ending, the twins have kept themselves busy. Both have done various charitable works, while still managing to find time for acting, college, and living life in general.

I had the great pleasure to chat with both of them on the phone recently, where they will appear in "The Hot Chick" opening this Friday and starring SNL alum Rob Schneider.

Tamera: In all honesty, at first, I really didn't recognize it. I was so enthused with the idea of actually fulfilling my dream. But then, of course, as things set in, the responsibility also set in. It was a lot of pressure to have on your shoulders at a very young age because if the ratings weren't well, people looked at you. If no one liked the show, you take it personally. But I guess as I got older, I kind of realized that you can't really please everybody. In a way, it was kind of good because it helped us grow up a little bit more.

Tia: I would have to say yes and no. There are some advantages and disadvantages. When you're really young, sometimes you don't realize the pressure that comes along with a sitcom. When we first started, we weren't really aware, more or less, of what was going on. When I was 14, I was just having fun but as I got to 16 years old, I started to realize the pressure. They introduced us to the Nielsen ratings and that wasn't fun at all. (Laughs) My mom actually took it away from us at one time because were so caught up in it and took it very personally. If something went wrong, people would look at you and say, 'You got to be more funny!' At 16 years old, that's a lot of pressure but as you grow older, the pressure got a lot harder.

Tamera: The coolest thing about having a lot of people on your show is that it gives you diversity. A lot of the people brought a lot of their talents and a lot of their personality that just helped the show become relatable to everyone. It made it universal.

Tamera: People kind of automatically put us in the role model category, maybe because we stand for something positive. We stand for something good and it's who we are. It's not like we have to force anything. But also, it's cool because Tia and I, we make mistakes and we're not perfect. And I think that's a great role model also. A great role model who is able to go throughout life, make some good and bad choices, but in the end, be able to come out on top.

Tia: I really don't see myself as this "role model". I think that's just myself and I guess if people want to look at me the way that I make decisions or carry myself, I guess that's their prerogative to label me as a role model. I don't mind being labeled as a role model but I do appreciate it.

Tia: When we first started, we used to [answer fan mail] by hand. We would actually sit down and read the letters. I think that's why my sister and I are so appreciative of our fans because we actually listen to them. It's all about the fans that keep you on the air. Now, we have someone working for us but we still read a lot of letters that require special attention.

Tamera: It meant a lot because it was cool to have the African-American community acknowledge your work. There's just something that happens when you put a lot of hard work into it, and somebody realizes and complements it. It was wonderful.

Tia: It meant a lot to me because I was on stage and I was looking right down at Steven Spielberg. (Laughs) That was the coolest thing. It felt really good. I think whenever you receive some type of award, whether that's receiving a certificate or graduating high school, it just feels great because you've accomplished something. It was definitely a reward for my sister and I because everything we do, we mean it. We work hard and want to do the best. And it doesn't have to be an accolade. It can be a smile, or a clap, or an applause.

Tamera: At first, I really thought that. I think what's happening right now is that I do believe that family shows are lacking, but maybe just on the primetime networks. Now, we have so many networks. We have Nickleodeon, Disney, and a lot of other cable networks that show the reruns. If you talk about new sitcoms, yes, I do think they lack that. I think America is in need for another Bill Cosby, or another show like that. They kind have just been drawn to more teenage-prone shows with all the good looking people. I think television, like fashion, goes through cycles and it'll be back.

Tamera: Yeah, Tia and I do pop on the websites now and then. Our favorite site is "Tia and Tamera Forever." I think it's the cutest thing ever and they have great pictures and is very classy. We love looking at the idea that we have sites in German. We have sites in French. We speak French so we can read some of it which is hilarious. It's really amazing to see how much that show has gone and how universal it is.

Tia: I really appreciate it how they can just take their time out and have this site and ask questions, and just talk about Tia and Tamera. And they're still rooting us on! The reason why I like "Tia and Tamera Forever" is that it's always up-to-date, it has really nice pictures of my sister and I. We really our fans, and it's genuine.

Tamera: "The Hot Chick" is a funny movie. My sister and I played Ghetto-Fab twins. Which is really interesting because they are characters Tia and I never played before. We play the typical ghetto girls and cheerleaders.

Tia: We wear big boots, earrings, urban clothes, like clothes from J-Lo. They're very funny and they say what they want to say and what's on their mind. And they're very hip!

Tamera: Tom Brady, the director, and Rob Schneider co-wrote this film together and they actually had us in mind when they wrote it. I remember they came in and said, "O.K. girls, I want you to improv." And it was wonderful to have someone actually give us a chance to do feature films.

Tia: We actually had no idea until after the audition. It's always great to realize that somebody had you in mind when they are writing the script.

Tamera: The girls had to do a two-week cheerleading camp. There's a part where we have to live Rob Schneider up in a suit which was interesting because at first, we had to practice with stuntmen and my sister has really long hair. We did the lifting and everything and her hair got caught and kind of ripped out.

Tia: It's funny because I've always wanted to be a cheerleader but after going to the camp, I really, really respect them. They're athletes in themselves. I had two bruises on the side of my thigh after hitting hard and all the clapping. And my hair got ripped out! It was completely ripped but it's towards the back close to the neck. You really can't see it when my hair is down but when you pull it in a ponytail, you can see little hairs sticking out.

Tia: He's a genius. He creates a lot of his own movies. He improvs a lot and I think that's what makes a great comedian. He's just very humble and a joy. He's very encouraging but still very professional. He has a lot of fun but he also realizes that this is a movie and this is what I do for a living. You have to have that great balance. I just thank him for giving him and my sister the opportunity.

Tamera: Yes we did but we were also tutored.

Tamera: We didn't go to prom but actually, I don't feel like we got left out because we got to do a lot of the things we wanted to do in high school on the show. (Laughs) So we had prom on the show, we had cheerleading squads on the show, and also frog experiments.

Tamera: Well I have a mole. You can remember Tamera with the 'M' for mole. (Laughs)

Tamera: Me. But I'm not a nerdy bookworm. I'm a hip bookworm. People have no idea that I'm a bookworm because I'm fun and crazy, outlandish sometimes.

Tia: Tamera definitely. She's on the freakin honor role society! (Laughs) It's so funny because when we went to her initiation, and it's not like everybody is a nerd, but she was stylish and got her certificate and so stood out from everybody else.

Tamera: Me.

Tia: What? No. I'm outgoing! (Laughs) I get why she would say that because I'm more reserved when I first meet someone. She's not. She's very open whereas I have to oversee things, and be a little more careful about being extremely open. If you were to compare us when you first meet us, it would definitely be Tamera. But then I think once you know us, or put us on the dance floor, it would definitely be me.

Tamera: Me.

Tia: She is hilarious.

Tamera: Me. (Laughs) I'm serious!

Tamera: She has assertiveness. She knows how to deal with people, what she wants, and how to go for it.

Tia: I'm very organized. I wouldn't say a neat freak, but I am neat. I'm the type of person where if I have an opinion, I will express that opinion, whereas Tamera is a bit more sensitive than I am. It's amazing how we balance each other out.

Tamera: It was cool to see how Europeans react over 'Sister, Sister'. We thought we go to relax. Nope! (Laughs) Europe just got the show and so they were very, very excited about it. We learned a lot about ourself, a lot about culture, we traveled to many different places like Paris, Venice, Rome, Egypt, and Spain.

Tamera: College life is perky simply because we're seniors and we're ready to get out. Tia and I - we're really focused individuals. We didn't go into college and say, 'Oh, this is the time to party and really have fun.' Tia and I, we've always been really motivated and focused individuals. We had a mission to get our degree and we're doing pretty darn good.

Tamera: We've actually done some projects on our own but I think society loves us together. They're not ready for us to be separated. Why fix something when something isn't broken? But I'd love to do romantic comedies or action.

Tia: I wouldn't mind but I don't know if people are ready to see us do that yet. Our fans flock to see projects that we do when we are together. It's just that chemistry we have that people love.