Tahj Mowry has gone from playing a precocious brainiac in the hit Disney series “Smart Guy” to being featured in People magazine as one of the sexiest men alive. In between those polar extremes, Mowry has done numerous TV and film projects and has been nominated for multiple NAACP Image Awards along with MTV Awards. Being the younger sibling of superstar twins Tia and Tamera meant that, even when Mowry wasn’t starring in his own project, he was a part of one of Black Hollywood’s favorite families, who have managed to stay relevant over three decades.
In Welcome Matt, Mowry gets an opportunity to carry a film from beginning to end and showcase his comedic skills as well as real emotion and even trauma. Mowry plays Matt, a young film producer attempting to chase his dreams but struggling with an extreme mental disorder after a traumatic experience.
What made you want to play Matt, a character who is dealing with a mental disorder that not many people understand or even know about?
For a while, I’d been looking for a script that allowed me to stretch artistically. I think people are used to seeing me do comedy, but I’ve been wanting the opportunity to showcase something more. When I read this script, it had the perfect mix of comedy and drama. I’d done feature films before but nothing like this. When you meet Matt, he is dealing with a lot, and he learns it’s agoraphobia during … his therapy journey.
The film is centered around Matt’s mental disorder, and it’s being released during Mental Health Awareness Month. Are you hoping audiences will get the message about the importance of therapy as a way to cope with mental illness?
I feel blessed to be able to be a face for this message. There hasn’t been a film like this. It’s something we’ve never seen, especially in the Black community. People are afraid to see a therapist, they are afraid to admit they struggle with depression or anxiety, and the truth is at some point everybody does in their own way. The movie isn’t even out yet and I’ve seen people affected [by] the issues covered in the film — from the grief side of it, the depression side, the anxiety side, the not going outside — which the entire world dealt with last year. I think the timing is that God timing because there is a message that everyone needs.
Could you relate to Matt in that you grew up in front of the entire world on television? Did you ever struggle with balancing comments from other people as a celebrity?
I feel like I had to deal with that more as an adult than as a child. I am thankful that I didn’t grow up during the Instagram and social media era. I can’t imagine how hard that is for these new Disney Channel stars because I think social media makes that shoot upward so much faster. What helped me in my younger years was taking a break from Hollywood for a little while. I took a break, went to high school, then college for a couple of years. Then I decided to come back into acting as an adult. I think if I didn’t step away, it might’ve been more difficult for me.
What do you credit for keeping you and your siblings grounded even though you’ve been in Hollywood for most of your lives?
First of all, it’s our faith. I am constantly humbled because I serve God. Another thing is our parents. Both of our parents were in the military and they taught us to have respect, and that bleeds into our work. I think the biggest thing I learned from my parents was to keep Hollywood separate from my real life. It’s a job, and you have to treat it like any other job. It doesn’t define who I am.
Welcome Matt premiered May 28 in select theaters and on streaming platforms. In addition to Mowry, the Leon Pierce Jr. film stars Deon Cole, Jazsmin Lewis-Kelley and Dorien Wilson. Television audiences also can look forward to seeing Mowry in the upcoming ABC pilot “Black Don’t Crack.” Viola Davis serves as an executive producer for the new comedy series, which also stars Tisha Campbell, Essence Atkins, Isaiah Mustafa and Beth Grant.
Words by Christal Jordan
Images by Connor Clayton
Face/Hair by Jeffrey English
Wardrobe by Jordan Maiva
