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Tyra Banks

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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.

Early life

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. I just wanted to make money for college."[1]

Career

Fashion modeling

File:Gqtyra.jpg
Banks being the first African-American featured on the cover of GQ.

Banks' career took off when she made the move from high-fashion to a commercial market. She was the first African-American to be featured on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue, but is most noted for her work as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and as a Victoria's Secret model. In 1997 she won the prestigious Michael Award for "Supermodel of the Year". Banks has done runway shows in Paris, Milan, London, Tokyo and the U.S., and has been featured in many magazines, television commercials, and billboard advertisements. Her modeling credits include runway and/or print work for Cover Girl, Swatch, Pepsi, Nike, Inc., XOXO, LensCrafters, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria's Secret, Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, Yves Saint-Laurent, Chanel, Escada, Anna Sui, Michael Kors, Liz Claiborne, and Richard Tyler (designer). Banks has appeared on many international magazines, including the covers of Vogue, ELLE, Amica, ELLEgirl, L'Officiel, Harper's Bazaar, Photo, Cosmopolitan, Essence, and Sports Illustrated.

Banks stood out from the stick-thin waiflike models who were popular when she first entered the modeling industry, and had to work hard to persuade modeling agencies to take a chance on her more voluptuous physique. To give herself more options, Banks decided to branch out from high fashion into the commercial fashion industry. She later commented: " I told my agency to call Victoria's Secret, and I told them to call Sports Illustrated... I said [that] my body is changing, and seamstresses are calling me 'grosso' in Italian, and I know what the hell that means. And I'm not about to starve."

Banks addressed her physique in an interview with The Sun, saying, "I am totally against plastic surgery. A lot of people think I have breast implants because I have the biggest boobs in the business. But I was a 34C when I was 17. They stay up when I wear a push-up bra. But if people could see me when I come home and take off my bra, how could they think these are fake?". She is known for being proud of her more curvaceous body type, and once commented, "Some models are quite flat-chested so they can run around without bouncing. I can't. Black women don't have the same body image problems as white women. They are proud of their bodies."

Despite her phenomenal success as a supermodel, Banks began venturing from modeling to becoming a so-called media "personality" after 2000. She is the hostess, head judge, and an executive producer of the UPN (now the CW) television show America's Next Top Model. She also receives executive producer credits for all ANTM spinoffs.[citation needed] Banks also enjoyed a brief stint as a recording artist. During season two of America's Next Top Model, the contestants danced in her first music video for the single Shake Ya Body (Music Video) produced by experienced record producer Darkchild. Banks also acts as the patron for TZONE[1], a leadership program created by Banks for young girls that according to the organization, "reinforces core values of trust and support, challenges teen girls to resist negative social pressures, and enhances self-empowerment—inspiring girls to become confident leaders in their communities." She has also established the Tyra Banks Scholarship, a fund aimed at providing African-American girls the opportunity to attend her alma mater, Immaculate Heart High School.

Banks retired from modeling in May 2005. 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.

Television

Banks' television career began on the fourth season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which she played Jackie, Will's ex-girlfriend. She also appeared on Felicity. She once starred in an episode of MADtv. Banks has also starred as the fictitious brought to life doll 'Eve' in the Disney film Life-Size, along side Lindsay Lohan. She also appeared on Nick Cannon's Wild 'N Out, as a special guest host / team captain.

She is now the executive producer, host and head judge of the hit TV show America's Next Top Model. She also currently hosts The Tyra Banks Show, a daytime talk show which premiered on September 12 2005 and recently began its second season. The show now draws over 1.9 million viewers. The show features stories about everyday people mixed in with celebrity interviews, much like the early format of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Under the slogan "Every woman has a story," Banks promotes her show using emotional flashbacks to her own childhood and adolescence. Many of the episodes deal with issues facing women today.

Music

Banks appeared in Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video in a scene where Glen Chin morphs into her; in George Michael's "Too Funky" video (with fellow supermodel Linda Evangelista); and in a Lionel Richie video. In 2004, she recorded her first single, "Shake Ya Body", which had a music video featuring the America's Next Top Model, Cycle 2 contestants. The video had its world premiere on UPN, but the single was a failure for Banks. On her show, she commented to Carmen Electra, "Girl, that makes the two of us with music videos that people didn't like."[citation needed]

Though "Shake Ya Body" was a failure, record producer Darkchild told JET in 2004 that "[Banks] has what it takes to pull it off...she had a hungriness to want to be in the studio all the time. Some people want to be divas in the studio and work for three or four hours. You had to tell Tyra to stop or she will keep you going. She's a consummate professional."[2] As for her voice, Jerkins stated, "People will be shocked. She can really sing, she's like between soprano and high alto. I challenged her vocally. I pushed her, but not too far. I pushed her where vocally it fit the track." Banks is planning on having a second single, "Beautiful."[2]

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 Nights". She also recorded 2 other songs, Baby and Beautiful. Baby was leaked on the internet soon after Shake Ya Body.

Movies

Banks has had minor roles in a few movies over the years. Her debut in movies came in 1995 when she co-starred in the critically acclaimed drama Higher Learning. She also co-starred with Lindsay Lohan in the Disney film Life-Size, playing a doll named Eve who comes to life. She co-starred in 1999's Love Stinks, 2000's Coyote Ugly, and 2002's Halloween: Resurrection – the eighth film in the Halloween franchise.

Personal

File:Tyapeople.jpg
Banks on the cover of People Magazine defending herself as not being too fat according to a recent paparazzi photo.

Banks has been romantically involved with a number of public figures (including director John Singleton, investment banker Craig Davis, basketball player Chris Webber, and musician Seal), though she has stated that she prefers to date non-celebrities, as she strongly dislikes and wishes to avoid the intense pressure and media scrutiny that come with being in a relationship with another famous person.

On May 8 2006, Banks was named as one of the world's 100 most influential people by TIME magazine.

She has an extreme phobia of dolphins, a fear she faced in her daytime talk show.[3] Banks recently stated that she would not allow any future photographs of herself to be digitally touched up; rather, she will rely solely on makeup and hairstyling to enhance her appearance.[citation needed] Pictures released in late 2006 showed a significant weight gain; Banks said that she was "upset" when rude comments were posted on a gossip website[4]. Because of this, Banks went to People magazine to discuss the weight gain and people's expectations of her[4]; she also dealt with the issue on the February 1, 2007 episode of The Tyra Banks Show. On that episode, Banks wore the same bathing suit in the photo to show that the reason why she looked so fat was because of the angle of the photo and angle of her waistline. She later appeared on Larry King Live to talk about the news. Fans of shock jocks Opie and Anthony and Jim "Monster Rain" Norton, known as Pests Out West, posted a sign calling Banks a "Fatty Pig Fatty" right outside of her studio in California.[2] In addition, several tabloids such as the National Enquirer have begun referring to Banks as "Spare Tyra", a jab at her weight gain.

According to the December 5 2006 edition of Entertainment Tonight, she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up.

Banks also works as a photographer and a motivational speaker for young girls in her spare time.

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.

Filmography

Television work

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References

  1. ^ Jacobs, Mark (1 June 2004). "Tyra Banks Omnimedia". PAPERMAG. p. 1. Retrieved 2007-01-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_9_105/ai_114007282
  3. ^ "The Tyra Banks Show: "Face Your Fears"" (HTML). Warner Brothers. 7 February 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference healthiest was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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