Tyra Banks

Name : Tyra Banks
Date of Birth : December 4, 1973
Place of Birth : Los Angeles, CA
Height : 5'11''
Weight : 108 lbs
Eyes : Greenish-brown
Hair : Brown
Occupation : Model
Sign : Sagittarius
Nickname : Froggy
Fan Mail : Tyra Banks
C/O Innovative Artists
1999 Avenue of the Stars 2100
Los Angeles, CA. 90067
USA

Tyra was born in Los Angeles on December 4th, 1973, to a very loving and supportive family. Despite the divorce of her parents when she was only six years old, and the torments of her older brother Devin, Tyra's youth was happy and trouble-free.Though it might now be hard to believe, Tyra was a tall, skinny and awkward adolescent. She was constantly teased by her brother and her classmates, and often ran home crying to her mother for comfort. Then, late in high school, everything changed for her. She filled out her skinny frame, began to work out and finally decided to become a model. Tyra pursued that goal with the determination that now marks all of her activities.And after being turned down by four modeling agencies because they thought her face wasn't photogenic, she was finally signed by the Elite agency when she was 17.So, instead of going to Loyola Marymount College, Tyra moved to Paris for a year and modeled for many of the big names in fashion, including Ralph Lauren and Chanel. She then moved back to the States and continued modeling, rocketing her way up through the ranks. Tyra began her modeling career in Europe and evolved into a world-renowned supermodel who has become a pioneer in the industry. She was the first African-American woman to grace the covers of GQ, Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue and the Victoria's Secret catalog. In 1997, she received the prestigious Michael Award for Supermodel of the Year. She later secured an exclusive contract with Victoria's Secret. In addition, Banks has been contracted by Swatch and Cover Girl, and has appeared in ad campaigns for Nike, Pepsi, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Dolce & Gabbana.Tyra also authored "Tyra's Beauty Inside & Out", published by Harper Collins (1998). Banks' television career began on the fourth season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which she played Jackie Ames, who made 8 appearances and was also 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 and team captain. She also was a Barker's Beauty on The Price Is Right.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.

Fact:
*Has an older brother named Devin.
*CEO of her own company TYInc.
*Dated John Singleton.
*Named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by people magazine.(1994)
*In 1994, she started the Tyra Banks Scholarship.
*Professional model.
*Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the most beautiful people in the world. [1996]
*First African American model to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition
*Is a "Youth Correspondent" for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" (1986), and there is speculation that Oprah Winfrey is training Tyra to eventually take over the show (as of February 2000).
*Took Second Place by the readers of Black Men Magazine for "The 10 Sexiest Women of the Year." [2000]
*Measurements: 34C-23 1/2-35 1/2. (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
*Size 9 shoe. (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
*Does not drink alcohol.

Filmography:
Larceny
Eight Crazy Nights
Halloween: Resurrection
Love & Basketball
Coyote Ugly
Life-Size
Love Stinks
A Woman Like That
Higher Learning
Supermodels in the Rainforest