Tyra Banks

Tyra Banks
Born	(1973-12-04) December 4, 1973 Los Angeles, California
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Talk show hostess, supermodel, author, actress
Height	5'10.5" (179 cm)

Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973 in Los Angeles, California) is a popular American supermodel, television personality, author, actress, executive producer, and talk show host, who's best known for her role since 2003 as both the host and judge of America's Next Top Model. Banks is widely-recognized as one of the most famous fashion models in the world and one of the original Victoria's Secret Angels.

Early life

Tyra Banks was born in Los Angeles, California to Don Banks and Carolyn London. She was raised in Inglewood, California with her brother Devin, and attended Immaculate Heart High School, an all-girls, independent Catholic private school in Los Angeles. Growing up, she was very thin and often teased; she was considered to be an "ugly duckling." Banks later said that this was a very difficult time for her and she developed a "very strong self-image problem." Banks has publicly stated that she has a severe fear of dolphins. [1]

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. But Banks began modeling at age 15. Prior to this entry into the fashion world, Banks had been rejected several times for modeling assignments. Some had fallaciously noted some drawback to Banks' high forehead. 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. [2]

Career

Fashion modeling

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, Victoria's Secret model, and talk-show hostess. In 1997 she won the prestigious Michael Award for "Supermodel of the Year". Banks has done runway shows in Paris, Milan, and the U.S. She has been featured in a variety of magazines, commercials, and billboards. Her modeling credits include runway and/or print work for Cover Girl, Swatch, Pepsi, Nike, XOXO, LensCrafters, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria's Secret, Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, Yves Saint-Laurent, Chanel, Escada, Anna Sui, Liz Claiborne, and Richard Tyler. Banks has appeared on many international magazines, including the covers of Vogue, ELLE, Amica, ELLEgirl, L'Officiel, Harper's Bazaar, Photo, Cosmopolitan, and Sports Illustrated.

In a time when "waif" fashion models were in some prominence, Banks stood out with a more voluptuous physique at 5ft 10 1/2 in, tall and reported measurements of 35½-23½-36½. Banks had to work hard to persuade fashion designers that her physique was well-suited to the catwalk, and ultimately she modeled for the best haute-couture designers all over the world. A little bit later on in her career, Banks decided that the world of high-fashion was no longer something she wished to pursue and so began seeking work in the commercial side of fashion. She says: "I was pro-active... I told my agency to call Victoria's Secret, and I told them to call Sports Illustrated... I said 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 openly proud of her body, once commenting, "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. Black men love big butts, and they cannot lie."

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 television show America's Next Top Model. She also receives executive producer credits for all ANTM spinoffs. Banks also enjoyed a brief stint as a recording artist and 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, 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 2005. She made her final walk down the runway at the 2005 Victoria's Secret Fashion 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. As well as her role as executive producer, host and head judge of the hit TV show America's Next Top Model, she currently hosts The Tyra Banks Show, a daytime talk show which premiered in the United States on September 12, 2005, the second season of which has recently premiered. 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 promoted her show using emotional flashbacks to her own childhood and adolescence. Many of the episodes deal with issues facing women today. She has also starred in an old episode of MADtv. Banks' has also starred as the fictitous 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.

Music

File:Tyra 4.jpg

An ad for Banks' single, "Shake Ya Body."

Banks appeared in Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video in a scene in which Glen Chin morphs into her, and with fellow supermodel Linda Evangelista, in George Michael's "Too Funky" video. In 2004, she recorded her first and, only single, Shake Ya Body. She had a failed pop career, which she commented about in ANTM, "I don't know what I was thinking! ...models don't sing!" She has also had a single with NBA star Kobe Bryant, "K.O.B.E.," and has a single/soundtrack from the Disney movie Life-Size, called "Be A Star". In total, she has recorded three songs.

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.

In addition, Tyra had a small role in the pre-show of the Disneyworld ride, "ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter" in which she played the part of an alien woman doing a commercial for X-S, although her voice was dubbed over by an older woman's voice.

Personal

Banks has had a number of noted relationships with men, including director John Singleton, investment banker Craig Davis, basketball player Chris Webber, and Seal.

Banks has expressed her preference for a relationship with a "normal guy" in order to escape the pressures of being together with another well-known celebrity, and the media scrutiny that comes with it. She says she wants a man who "knows how to appreciate natural curves when he sees them."

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

Tyra Banks has an extreme phobia for dolphins, a phobia she faced in her daytime talk show The Tyra Banks Show.

Banks recently stated that she would not allow any future photographs of herself to be touched up or digitally enhanced. She will rely solely on make-up and clever hair styling techniques to enhance her beauty naturally.

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