Biography
Who is Tyra Banks?
Early life and education
Tyra Lynne Banks was born in Inglewood, California on December 4, 1973. Her mother, Carolyn London-Johnson, worked as a medical photographer, while her father, Donald Banks, was employed as a computer consultant. She grew up with a brother named Devin, who was five years older. When Tyra Banks was six years old, her parents got a divorce. She attended John Burroughs Middle School and later graduated from Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles in the year 1991.
During her school years, Tyra Banks faced teasing about her appearance and viewed herself as an awkward teenager. However, a major growth spurt occurred when she was eleven years old, during which she grew three inches and lost thirty pounds over a three-month period. She later completed a nine-week program at Harvard University's Owner/President Management extension course in February 2012.
Modeling career
Tyra Banks began her career in modeling at the age of 15 while still attending Immaculate Heart High School. After facing initial rejections from four different agencies, she signed with L.A. Models and later moved to Elite Model Management at age 16. Her international career took off when she relocated to Milan and booked 25 shows during her first runway season at the 1991 Paris Fashion Week. She worked extensively with top designers and appeared in major fashion magazines worldwide.
She made history as the first African American woman to appear on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She also became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 1997 and served as the first African American woman chosen for the Victoria's Secret catalog cover. After spending years at the top of the fashion industry, she briefly stepped away from the runway before returning for special appearances, including walking in the 2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
Television and film
Tyra Banks expanded her career into acting and television production during the 1990s and 2000s. She secured television roles in sitcoms like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and appeared in films such as Higher Learning, Coyote Ugly, and the Disney Channel movie Life-Size. In 2003, she created the reality competition series America's Next Top Model, serving as executive producer and host for numerous seasons. Her production company, Bankable Productions, also produced her daytime talk show, The Tyra Banks Show.
Throughout her television career, she hosted several major programs, including America's Got Talent and Dancing with the Stars. Her talk show earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host. In addition to her television work, she published a young adult novel titled Modelland in 2010, which reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller list the following year.
Birthday and age
Tyra Banks was born on December 4, 1973, which makes Tyra 52 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Tyra shares the date with 24 other famous people.
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