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Tyra Banks

About Me


Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973) is an African-American television personality, author, actress, singer, executive producer, talk show host, and former supermodel. She is well known for her role as the host and judge of the reality television show America's Next Top Model. Banks is widely recognized as one of the world's premier fashion models, and was one of the original Victoria's Secret Angels. Banks also currently hosts her own daytime talk show The Tyra Banks Show. Tyra Banks was born in Los Angeles, California, USA to Don Banks and Carolyn London. She was raised in Inglewood, California with her brother Devin, and attended Immaculate Heart High School, an all-girl, independent Catholic private school in Los Angeles. Growing up, she was very thin and often teased; she was considered to be "ugly." Banks later said that this was a very difficult period for her and she developed a "very strong self-image problem." In 1991, Banks was about to begin her freshman year at Loyola Marymount University when Elite Model Management gave the 17-year-old her first modeling job. Prior to this entry into the fashion world, Banks had been rejected several times for modeling assignments. In fact, she states that she did not consider her first job to be the start of a long career in fashion: "An agent saw pictures of me and said that I was the only girl she wanted to take back to Paris... I didn't leave thinking I was going to be some big fashion model. She made her final walk down the runway at the 2005 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Banks said the reason she retired from the runway was so she could concentrate more on her television show.
I pushed her where vocally it fit the track."[4] Banks released a single with NBA star Kobe Bryant, titled "K.O.B.E.", which was performed on NBA TV, and had a single/soundtrack from the Disney movie Life-Size called "Be A Star". She also sang in the musical/movie "Eight Crazy Banks has had minor roles in a few movies over the years.During her career, Banks always had a wish of becoming a mother, but her professional life didn't allow her to have children; she had little time for herself. She has said that she needs to be in a 'place' in her life where she is balanced and prepared for such a big step
"A smart model is a good model," I say, and I seem destined to prove it in every way. Now widely known as one of the world's foremost supermodels, I begin modeling career at the age of 17 with the Elite agency after flirting with attending college at Loyola Marymount. The 5'11" beauty was quickly discovered in Los Angeles, my birth city, and offered a healthy contract with cosmetics company Cover Girl -- becoming only the third African-American woman in the world to secure such an opportunity. Her striking looks and business savvy extended to several offers, including assignments with Ralph Lauren and various magazine covers (over 20 to be exact), including Sports Illustrated and most notably GQ, where I became the first black woman ever to grace the cover. In addition to various ads and runway gigs, I decided to branch out into feature films, scoring a few high-profile gigs, starring as Omar Epps' love interest in John Singleton's racially charged drama Higher Learning (1995) and snagging a stint opposite Will Smith on TV's The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. These breakout roles led to more film work, including a British sexploitation film called Inferno and a comic turn in 1999's Love Stinks with actors French Stewart and Bill Bellamy. In 2000, Banks landed a high-profile gig in the critically dismissed but lively Jerry Bruckheimer production Coyote Ugly, playing a sexy barmaid in a role that showcased all of her assets in one tidy package. Continuing my dual career, Banks' devotion to environmental issues has shown the world her ambition to be a role model as well. I'm a promoter of a line of greeting cards for Children+Families, an organization dedicated to helping abused children. Created with the aid of children aged eight and nine, the card series is designed to promote literacy for children in troubled homes. Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
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