Tyra Banks

Tyra Lynne Banks was born on the 4th December 1973 in Inglewood in California. She was accepted to Loyola Marymount University. However, instead of attending the university, she moved to Paris to pursue her modelling career.
She started modeling when she was 15 years old. Within her first week of modelling in Paris, designers were entranced by Tyra on the runway, and she was booked for an unprecedented 25 shows--a record in the business for a newcomer.
She has modelled for designers such as Anna Sui, Coors Light, CoverGirl, Badgley Mischka, Bill Blass, Cynthia Rowley, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Gemma Kahng, H&M, Isaac Mizrahi, Maria Snyder, McDonald's, Michael Kors, Milk, Nicole Miller, Nike, Inc., 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. She has appeared on the covers of high fashion magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and Elle.
Tyra was the first African American woman on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In 1997, she received the VH1 Award for Supermodel of the Year. Also in 1997, she was chosen for the cover of the Victoria's Secret catalogue, making her the first African American to be so honoured.
Tyra retired from modelling in 2005, to concentrate on her television show.
Tyra's television career began on the fourth season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which she played lead character Will's old friend Jackie Ames, and made seven appearances throughout the series.
Other roles soon followed in Felicity, MADtv, Nick Cannon's Wild 'N Out (in which she was featured as special guest host and team captain) and The Price Is Right (guest-starring as a Barker's Beauty).
Tyra started a show, that is known around the world as America's Next Top Model - Cycle 1. She is the main judge and executive producer. In addition, she hosts The Tyra Banks Show, a daytime talkshow aimed at younger women.
Tyra has starred in films such as Higher Learning as Deja with Jennifer Connelly, Ice Cube and Omar Epps and in the Disney film Life Size, playing a doll named Eve who comes to life and has to learn how to live in the real world opposite Lindsay Lohan and Jere Burns.
She has had roles in Mr Woodcock as herself, Eight Crazy Nights as the victoria secrets gown and Love And Basketball as Kyra Kessler with Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps and Alfre Woodard.
Tyra has also had roles in Love Stinks as Holly Garnett with French Stewart, Coyote Ugly as Zoe with Piper Perabo, Maria Bello and Izabella Miko and in Halloween: Resurrection as Nora Winston with Sean Patrick Thomas and Busta Rhymes.
Tyra had appeared in several music video's including Michael Jackson's "Black or White," Tina Turner's "Love Thing," Mobb Deep's "Trife Life" and George Michael's "Too Funky" (with fellow supermodel Linda Evangelista). In 2004, she recorded her first single, "Shake Ya Body", which had a music video featuring the America's Next Top Model, Cycle 2 contestants.
Tyra is very versatile, and without doubt a true Supermodel.
She has also starred in Alex Thomas - Straight Clownin' with Alex Thomas and Jamie Foxx and has starred as herself in Tropic Thunder with Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr, Hannah Montana The Movie and Sesame Street: Elmopalooza! with Chris Rock, David Alan Grier and Rosie O'Donnell.
Tyra has also appeared in Gossip Girl Season 3 as Ursula Nyquist, a larger than life actress with Blake Lively and Penn Badgley.













What members say | Filmography

Tyra Banks - what members say

Tyra Banks - filmography

5 most recent films

America's Next Top Model - Cycle 1 - 3.0 stars
Alex Thomas - Straight Clownin' - 2.0 stars
Halloween - Resurrection - 2.5 stars
Coyote Ugly - Blu-ray - 3.5 stars
Love And Basketball - 3.5 stars

5 highest-rated films

Love And Basketball - 3.5 stars
Coyote Ugly - 3.5 stars
Coyote Ugly - Blu-ray - 3.5 stars
Higher Learning - 3.0 stars
Life Size - 3.0 stars

5 lowest-rated films

Sesame Street - Elmopalooza! - 2.5 stars
America's Next Top Model - Cycle 1 - 3.0 stars
Alex Thomas - Straight Clownin' - 2.0 stars
Halloween - Resurrection - 2.5 stars
Life Size - 3.0 stars

Most frequent co-stars

Busta Rhymes - 3 times - show films
Piper Perabo - 3 times - show films
Melanie Lynskey - 3 times - show films
Izabella Miko - 3 times - show films
Vincent Schiavelli - 3 times - show films

Most frequent directors

David McNally - 3 times - show films
Rick Rosenthal - 2 times - show films
none - 1 times - show films
Guido Verweyen - 1 times - show films
Ifeanyi Njoku - 1 times - show films