Tyra Banks
Biography
Tyra
Banks, on her status as a sex symbol. People still tend to think
of Tyra Banks as "just a model," but with three movies
coming out this year, including Coyote Ugly, she's ready to show
the world that she can do more than just pose for photographers.
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. Soon Tyra began to diversify her activities,
having a small part in the British television movie, Inferno as
a supermodel, and then appearing on Will Smith's Fresh Prince of
Bel-Air in a recurring supporting role. Tyra's first real movie
role came in John Singleton's Higher Learning. She played Omar Epps'
track-running girlfriend and though it was a small role, critics
were impressed by the intensity she brought to the screen. She was
definitely not just another supermodel playing at being an actress
-- her performance was the real thing. She even did some distance-running
training, in order to turn in a more believable performance. When
the film came out, movie offers began to roll in, but Tyra chose
not to act in just anything. Instead, she continued her meteoric
rise in the modeling ranks, appearing on the covers of several magazines.
In fact, she was the first African-American woman ever to be featured
on the covers of GQ magazine, the Victoria's Secret catalog, and
the famous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
She made
People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful" list not once, but
twice, and even wrote a revealing book about her life, Tyra's Beauty
Inside & Out. She also had a few high-profile relationships,
first with John Singleton and then with pop singer Seal. She is
rumored to have gone out with Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and...
Mark Messier? Strangely enough, yes. Sick of the constant scrutiny
inherent in celebrity relationships, she returned to her high school
sweetheart, a law student; but that didn't protect her from the
rumors, most recently linking her with LA Lakers Kobe Bryant, Rick
Fox, and even Teresa Weatherspoon, who plays for New York in the
WNBA. In interviews, however, Tyra often says that she is looking
for a "Normal Guy", albeit a tall one -- she measures
5'11".Tyra appeared in one or two movies during this time,
but only really began to work in Hollywood last year, with a small
part in Love Stinks. Then, the year 2000 brought with it a supporting
role in the popular independent film Love & Basketball, and
a starring role in the made-for-TV Disney movie Life-Size (in which
she played a doll brought to life by a wish).
Now an
important part in Coyote Ugly has brought Tyra back into the limelight.
She plays a wild bartender, which is quite ironic because she has
said several times that she doesn't drink alcohol. She doesn't watch
what she eats, though, unlike most other models; she has gone on
record stating that she often eats barbecued ribs, fried chicken
wings, ice cream, and fast-food. In one talk show appearance, Tyra
proclaimed her love for Ketchup packets, and argued that the sole
purpose of french fries was to allow you to scoop up puddles of
ketchup. So how does she stay in shape? She plays lots of sports,
particularly basketball and tennis, and makes sure she always has
fun while exercising. The future looks bright for Tyra Banks. She
stars in two upcoming movies, one of which -- Disney's Honey Thunder
Dunk -- she will also be producing, she is one of the richest supermodels
in the world, with a personal wealth recently valued at 8.8 million
dollars, and there were even rumors a few months ago that Oprah
Winfrey is grooming her to take over her show.
Tyra Banks Filmography
The 2nd Annual Vibe Awards
(2004) (TV) .... Co Host
Larceny (2004)
Eight Crazy Nights (2002) (voice) .... Victoria's Secret Gown
... aka Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights (USA: complete title)
Halloween: Resurrection (2002) .... Nora Winston
Coyote Ugly (2000) .... Zoe
Life-Size (2000) (TV) .... Eve
Love & Basketball (2000) .... Kyra Kessler
... aka Love and Basketball (USA: closing credits title)
The Apartment Complex (1999) (TV)
Love Stinks (1999) .... Holly Garnett
A Woman Like That (1997)
Higher Learning (1995) .... Deja
Inferno (1992) (TV)
Black or White (1991) (V) |
