Tyra Banks

 

 

 

Tyra Banks, one of the seven most influential people as ranked by the Times magazine have shown the world that a jack of all trades can also become a master of all too, if armed with dedication, determination and willingness to work hard. Denoted by the tags of American supermodel, television personality, author, actress, executive producer, and talk show host, this African American beauty has excelled in every role that she has undertaken.

Banks was born in Los Angeles, California, December 4, 1973 as the daughter of Carolyn, a fashion manager and medical photographer, and Donald Banks, a computer consultant. The couple divorced in 1980, when Tyra was six, although the relationship of her parents and especially her brother Devin Banks stayed friendly.

While she was still in school, there occurred a sudden growth spurt in her making her the laughing stock of all the girls at around the age 11.But little did anyone know, that the skinny, shy tall girl of that time would later emerge into as one of America’s hot and happening supermodels.
Banks heeded to her true calling, when she started making rounds of modeling agencies at the mere age of 17 when she was still in Los Angels’ Heart High School . With little or no success in finding any modeling assignments, she decided to attend L.A. 's Loyola Marymount University . But as luck would had it, she got a call from a French modeling scout offering her a chance to model in the Paris couture shows in 1990.

Career in Modeling

It was during 1993, when she hooked up with Boyz N the Hood director John Singleton, who gave her first big break in movies track runner Deja opposite Omar Epps in Higher Learning which released in 1995 with speculations over Tyra’s selection due to favoritism. She on her part had earlier appeared in will smith’s show Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She rounded this period with two more movies, Love & Basketball and Coyote Ugly.

Tyra has done extensive print and/or runway work for fashion/advertising giants such as Cynthia Rowley, Chanel, Christian Dior, and Dolce & Gabbana and appeared on the covers of high fashion magazines. In fact she became the first African-American woman to pose on the covers of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue (with model Valeria Mazza), GQ (February 1996) and the Victoria's Secret catalogue (1996).

After a host of catwalks and movies, Banks turned her wheels towards television and after getting a first hand experience of being a youth correspondent on The Oprah Show, she donned up the cap of executive producer and television judge for the show, America's Next Top Model, on which women vie for a modeling contract in 2003. With the success of her show running strong for seven seasons straight, she turned host on her own talk show, The Tyra Banks Show in 2005.
Besides this, the model has also released a book on make-up advice called Tyra's Beauty Inside & Out and started her own girl camp for the building up of self –esteem in teenage girls by the name of 'BBQ' .

With a rumor of her dating investment banker John Utendahl, this girl power has still not given any indications of settling down, although she does feel lonely at the top. 

Filmography

Supermodels in the Rainforest: Costa Rica (1995) as herself
Higher Learning (1995) as Deja
A Woman Like That (1997)
Love Stinks (1999) as Holly Garnett
The Apartment Complex (1999) as Unkown Name
Life-Size (2000) as Eve
Love & Basketball (2000) as Kyra Kessler
Coyote Ugly (2000) as Zoe
Halloween: Resurrection (2002) as Nora Winston
Eight Crazy Nights (2002) (voice) as Victoria's Secret Gown

TV Series/Movies

Inferno (1992)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1993) "You've Got to Be a Football Hero", "Take My Cousin...
Please", "Fresh Prince After Dark", "Blood Is Thicker Than Mud", "Father of the Year", "All Guts,
No Glory", "Where There's a Will, There's a Way" as Jackie Ames
New YorkUndercover (1997) "Descell", "Hubris", "Outrage" as Natasha Claybourne
The Hughleys (1999) "Sap and the Star" as Nicole
The Apartment Complex (1999)
Mad TV (2000) "Episode #5.25" as Katisha, "Episode #5.17"
Felicity (2000) "A Good Egg", "Kissing Mr. Covington", "One Ball, Two Strikes" as Jane Scott
Soul Food (2001) "Ordinary Pain" as Nina Joseph
America's Next Top Model (2003-present) as Executive Producer, Host
Marple: The Body in the Library (2004) as Executive Producer
American Dreams (2004)
Larceny (2004)
All of Us (2004) "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" as Roni
The Tyra Banks Show (2005-present) as Executive Producer, Host''
The Price Is Right (February 2006) as a guest Barker's Beauty