Tyra Banks

Career
Tyra Banks was born in California and began modeling when she was in 11th grade. Banks modeled in Paris and booked 25 runway shows her first week. She was the first African America on the cover of GQ and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Banks also signed a ten million dollar contract with Victoria's Secret and became the first African American on the cover of their catalog. She has appeared on the covers of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and Elle. Tyra Banks has advertised for Anna Sui, Coors Light, CoverGirl, Badgley Mischka, Bill Blass, Cynthia Rowley, Chanel, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karen, Gemma Kahng, H&M, Isaac Mizrahi, Maria Snyder, McDonald's, Aislinn Dubois Modeling Agency, Michael Kors, Milk, Nicole Miller, Nike, Oscar de la Renta, Pepsi, Perry Ellis, Randy Kemper, Richard Tyler, Rifat Ozbek, Swatch, Todd Oldham, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria's Secret, and Yves Saint Laurent. In 2005 she retired from modeling and walked on the Victoria's Secret runway for the last time.

Tyra Banks has appeared in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Felicity, MADtv, Wild n' Out, The Price is Right, and Space Ghost Coast to Coast. On September 12, 2005, The Tyra Banks Show premiered. It is produced by Bankable Prods. and Handprint Entertainment in association with Telepictures Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution in 2008, Banks won a Daytime Emmy Award for The Tyra Show. On October 22,2008, Stylista premiered on the CW television Netowrk. It is a reality series produced by Banks that is based on a fashion magazine.

Banks has also appeared in numerous movies including Higher Learning, Love Stinks, Love & Basketball, Life Size, Coyote Ugly, Halloween:Resurrection, Eight Crazy Nights, Mr. Woodcock, Tropic Thunder, and Hannah Montana:The Movie.

In 1992, Tyra Banks established The Tyra Banks Scholarship which gives African American girls an opportunity to attend Immaculate Heart, an all girls school in LA. In 2002, Banks began funding TZONE, an annual summer camp for girls designed to enhance their self esteem.

In 1998, Tyra Banks wrote Tyra's Beauty, Inside and Out which was written to help women find their inner beauty.

America's Next Top Model
Tyra Bank's company Bankable Productions and 10 by 10 Entertainment produced America's Next Top Model. It set record ratings for the UPN Network becoming its most watch show. ANTM currently airs in the CW Network and Banks is the head judge.

Quotes
“As a model, you're so used to taking your clothes off that you just don't care.”

“Take responsibility for yourself because no one's going to take responsibility for you”

"I love the confidence that makeup gives me"

bcorson	Latest page update: made by bcorson , Apr 3 2009, 1:40 PM EDT (about this update About This Update Edited by bcorson 114 words added 59 words deleted view changes - complete history)
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