Tyson Beckford Bio

Tyson Beckford  

 

American supermodel and actor Tyson Beckford is known internationally as the face of Ralph Lauren. He is also noted for his emerging acting career as well as his status as the highest paid Jamaican-American male model.

 

Tyson Craig Beckford was born December 19, 1970 in the Bronx, New York. He is of Jamaican descent on his mother’s side and Chinese descent on his father’s side. Beckford grew up in Rochester, New York where he attended Bay Trail Middle School followed by Pittsford Mendon High School, where he partook in both football and track.

 

By 1991, he was modeling with The Source, a prominent hip hop magazine. Two years later, Ralph Lauren handpicked him to front Polo’s menswear line. His acclaim as a supermodel earned him the title of “Man of the Year” in 1995 according to VH1. In the same year, People named him to their prestigious 50 Most Beautiful People edition.

 

Branching out from modeling and crossing over into acting, Beckford made his onscreen debut in 2000 with the film Boricua’s Bond. His next endeavor was 2002’s Shottas followed by Pandora’s Box with leads Michael Jai White, Monica Calhoun, and Joey Lawrence.

 

Breaking into more mainstream and commercial projects, Beckford landed a two-episode guest appearance on the Damon Wayans led sitcom My Wife and Kids. In 2003, he increased his exposure with the drama Biker Boyz. The film included all star cast Laurence Fishburne, Orlando Jones, Djimon Hounsou, Lisa Bonet, Larenz Tate, and Kid Rock.

 

His film career has continued to be steady although not critically acclaimed, appearing in flops such as Gas, Dream Street, and Wait.

 

Some minor hits have punctuated Beckford’s acting career, however, such as 2005’s Searching for Bobby D and Into the Blue with Jessica Alba, Paul Walker, and Josh Brolin.

 

He is currently in post-production for two films, Kings of the Evening and Hotel California, which he also produced.

 

Beckford is also noted for appearing in various music videos, most notably those of Toni Braxton, 50 Cent, and Britney Spears.

 

In mid-2005, Beckford was involved in a major car accident. Surviving the ordeal, he revealed on The Oprah Winfrey Show that the experience caused him to reassess and enforce his spirituality.

 

In his personal life, Beckford has been romantically linked with many women, including rapper Foxy Brown, former TLC member Rozonda Chilli Thomas, and Tiffany Limos. He recently married a British entrepreneur named Berniece Julien.

 

They reside in West New York, New Jersey.




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