Tyra Banks Biography

Savvy supermodel Tyra Banks was born on December 4, 1973, in Los Angeles, California. In her early teens, Tyra was often teased for her thinness – she reportedly had a growth spurt at age eleven, which resulted in four inches of extra height and a loss of thirty pounds. Just as Tyra was about to begin her freshman year at Claremont McKenna College, Elite Model Management discovered the teen and offered Tyra her first modeling gig. Tyra was skeptical that the job would lead to a sustainable career in modeling, as she had previously been rejected from several modeling auditions. To her surprise, she was soon after offered a contract with top cosmetics label, Cover Girl.

As her career took-off during the early 90s, Tyra began to break ground for other African-American women in the modeling industry – she became the first African-American to be featured on the cover of GQ magazine as well as Sports Illustrated (swimsuit issue). She then gained further recognition for her work as a Victoria's Secret model. By 1997, Tyra had won the Michael Award for Supermodel of the Year.

Tyra has been credited with projecting an alternative image to the traditional waif or “heroin chic” look that has dominated the runways for decades. Although she has been accused by the media of having breast implants, Tyra maintains that her voluptuous figure is natural and that she was a size 34C at age seventeen. 

In 2003, Tyra became the host, head judge, and an executive producer of the reality show America's Next Top Model, one of the highest rated shows on the UPN network. Tyra also currently hosts The Tyra Banks Show, a daytime talk show which premiered in 2005. The show has been compared to The Oprah Winfrey Show, which Tyra often made frequent appearances on, and was rumored to be preparing to take over once Oprah’s contract expires. Tyra’s talk show is often parodied on the internet for her tendency to revert the subject of conversation back to herself and her own experiences when interviewing a guest.

In 2005, Tyra officially retired from modeling and made her final strut down the runway at the 2005 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. She is currently ranked #4 out of 25 as the Sexiest Supermodels in the world, by models.com, and in May 2006, was named one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine.

Tyra’s film credits include co-starring in the critically acclaimed drama Higher Learning in 1995, as well as the made-for-TV Disney film Life-Size in 2000, in which she stars opposite Lindsay Lohan as a doll who comes to life. She also appeared in Coyote Ugly in 2000, and in 2002's Halloween: Resurrection, the eighth film in the popular Halloween horror series.

Tyra has been romantically linked to a number of high-profile personalities, including director John Singleton, investment banker Craig Davis, basketball star Chris Webber, and singer Seal.

As of 2007 Tyra was currently a patron for TZONE, a leadership program she created for young females, which aims to “reinforce 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.” Tyra also funds the Tyra Banks Scholarship for African-American girls to attend Immaculate Heart High School, her own alma mater.

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