ONTD

Tia Mowry—star of Tia & Tamera, The Game, and (duh) Sister, Sister—is back again with a leading role in a new holiday ABC Family movie with Tori Spelling, The Mistle-Tones. We caught up with her on the flick, her winter plans, and got her all-time favorite holiday movie picks!

The Mistle-Tones premieres on Sunday, December 9 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC Family.



Tell us a little bit about The Mistle-Tones.

The Mistle-Tones is a fun-filled, cheerful, heartfelt holiday movie. I love it because it’s different from a lot of the ABC Family Original Movies that have been done, in the sense that it’s a musical! There’s singing and there’s dancing, which is why I say it’s extremely cheerful. My character, Holly, absolutely loves Christmas and her passion for Christmas comes from her mother, who founded The Snow Belles. Her mom passed away, so she wants to keep that tradition alive, but unfortunately when she tries out for The Snow Belles. Tori Spelling’s character doesn’t allow her in, so she decides to create her own group—The Mistle-Tones.

What was it like to be in a musical? Was that different for you?

I had so much fun singing! This movie is not just about singing songs; it’s about singing from the heart. I’m so used to expressing emotion through dialog, so being able to do that through song was extremely rewarding and fun at the same time. It was a blast. I think I had so much fun filming this movie, it’s illegal.

Why did you decide to do a holiday film?

I decided to do a holiday film because I personally love the holidays. Also, I have a son now, and I wanted to do something that one day he could watch and enjoy once he gets older. That was one of the main reasons, but I am also an actress and I love taking on roles that people might not expect me to take on. One thing that really interested me about the film was that I got to sing and I got to dance. And yes, I do hope one day it will turn into a classic, that would be awesome!

Any special holiday plans?

I’m really hoping to be around snow! When I was shooting the movie in Utah, Cree and Cory and the family came to visit, and we had the chance to play in the snow. My husband is from Chicago, and he misses the seasons [in LA, we don't have too much variation in the seasons throughout the year] so we’re hoping we can go out to either Utah or Colorado and rent out a cabin to just spend some quality time together and enjoy the snow.

And now on to Tia's top 5 favorite holiday movies...

1. A Christmas Story

I love this movie mainly because it’s a story that focuses on family, it’s funny, and it has heart. I also like that it’s a realistic story in regards to a family dynamic, and it always brings my family together!

2 & 3. Home Alone and Home Alone 2

These were just great, hilarious movies that my sister and I would sit together and watch and laugh out loud. We would watch them every single Christmas and once my brothers, Taj and Tavior got older, they would join in as well. They were definitely more kid-related movies, so I enjoyed watching them with my brothers.

4. Groundhog Day

This is a more mature Christmas movie, but I have always been a huge fan of Bill Murray, and I always find this movie freaking hilarious. It’s just so funny.

5. Polar Express

This was one movie that I went to see in the theater with my family, and I really enjoyed it. Tom Hanks is amazing, and it was so well done and such beautiful storytelling. It is definitely a classic.

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