Star Facts
- Tyra is 5’ 10” tall
- In 1997, she won the VH1 Supermodel of the Year Award
- Her first TV acting role was as Tyra on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
- Tyra published a book of beauty advice, Tyra’s Beauty, in 1998
Tyra Lynne Banks Quotes
A smart model is a good model
Biography:
Our favourite fierce supermodel Tyra was born in California and attended the private all-girl Catholic school Immaculate Heart High in LA. She turned down offers from two universities to pursue a career in modelling.
Tyra began modelling at 15 and was whisked off to the Paris fashion shows, where she became an instant star. She’s since modelled for top fashion houses like Chanel and YSL and been the face of CoverGirl cosmetics.
She has graced the covers of magazines including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Cosmo, and became the first African-American woman to appear on the covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, the Victoria’s Secret Catalogue and GQ.
In 1993 Tyra branched out into acting, starring alongside Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. She's since appeared in nine Hollywood movies including Coyote Ugly and Halloween: Resurrection in 2002.
She became a household name and official TV goddess in 2003 as the creator and host of the megahit TV franchise America’s Next Top Model. She then co-created the True Beauty reality show and became the heir to Oprah in 2005 with The Tyra Banks Show.
So much more than just a pretty face, Tyra enrolled at Harvard Business School in 2011. She launched the TZONE Foundation to support young girls and women’s groups, and is working on a series of novels called Modelland too.
In the past, Tyra has dated Will Smith, Hype Williams and Seal, but is currently rumoured to be seeing banker John Utendahl.