Tia Mowry talks about her longevity, her cooking show, and gets emotional about her son

"I'm the type of person where I don't forget where I came from."

Tia Mowry has been a household name since "Sister, Sister," which she famously starred on with her twin sister, Tamara, debuted over 20 years ago. But, unlike some stars who tend to dismiss their name-making first big projects as childish or dated, Mowry insists that she embraces her past as a child star.

"I never look at 'Sister, Sister' as something that's small -- I look at it as a stepping stone," she explains. "When I'm doing projects with my sister, it's like I'm constantly giving back to my fans that have allowed us to be where we are today. I never forget those fans that want to see us together."

%shareLinks-quote="I'm constantly giving back to my fans that have allowed us to be where we are today. I never forget those fans that want to see us together." type="quote" author="Tia Mowry on working with her sister, Tamara" authordesc="" isquoteoftheday="false"%

Working with her sister, she says, "becomes special because I'm still giving thanks to where I started." And, even though she does appreciate the past, Mowry is all about living in and appreciating the present. What keeps that appreciation and passion for the business alive? Her family.

"My husband is really supportive of my career. He is more supportive of my career than myself, and he is constantly rooting me on -- I have someone picking me up and that encourages me."

As much as her husband makes an impact on her ability to keep pushing herself, her son, Cree, has truly been the driving force of her career since he was born. The influence her of her son has affected all aspects of her life, and he has even pushed her to become more in control of the direction of her own career.

Recent photos of Tia Mowry and her family:

"[When Cree was born,] I literally saw myself turn into this lioness," Mowry says. "I was shy about voicing my opinion and putting the control in my hands. I used to put the control in other people's hands and think, 'If they want me, they'll call me.' But I don't have that mentality anymore. My mentality is, I go out and I get it -- I don't take no for an answer."

When continuing to talk about her son, she revealed something that she had "never told anybody before," and she broke down in tears.

"When I'm feeling like I'm about to crack or die when I workout, I think of my son behind me," as she says this, her voice cracks and she begins to trail off. "I picture him behind me in a little chair, and I'm like, 'Let's do this! I can't let you down!' That's what motivates me."

And being a mom to 4-year-old Cree is what inspired her to begin her newest venture -- "Tia Mowry at Home," a half-hour cooking show on the Cooking Channel. She explained to us that being a mother comes with built-in communities -- "of moms at the park, at the doctor's office, at school, your friends who are moms" -- and that there's always a topic being discussed in those communities. When she noticed that healthy, nutritious eating kept coming up, Mowry decided to act on it.

"We live in a generation where there aren't a lot of stay-at-home moms -- moms are working, and moms are doing what they love to do. How can we be working moms and still put [healthy] food on the table? If I can do it, you can do it too," she says. "[My show] is all about practicality and being an influence for all of the other moms out there."

On "Tia Mowry at Home," Mowry tends to "cook family-style dishes with healthier alternatives" while also "appealing to the masses," something that, she says, can be difficult to balance. But that balance is what makes it fun, and we'd say she's doing a pretty amazing job at it.

More exclusives from AOL.com:
Topher Grace shares the 'Truth' about eternal youth
Meet Charlotte Tilbury, Kim Kardashian's secret weapon
Heidi Klum reveals everything you want to know about her wild Jessica Rabbit Halloween costume