Tyra Banks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tyra Banks
Banks in 2020
Born	Tyra Lynne Banks (1973-12-04) December 4, 1973 (age 51) Inglewood, California, U.S.
Other names	BanX
Alma mater	Immaculate Heart High School
Occupation	Model television personality producer writer actress businesswoman
Years active	1991–present
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Television	America's Next Top Model The Tyra Banks Show America's Got Talent FABLife Dancing with the Stars
Partner(s)	Erik Asla (2013–2017)
Children	1
Modeling information
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Green

Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also known as BanX, is an American model, TV star, producer, writer, and actress. She was born in Inglewood, California. Tyra started modeling when she was 15 years old. She was the first Black American woman to be on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She appeared on the Sports Illustrated cover three times. Tyra was one of the few Black models to become a Supermodel. She was also a Victoria's Secret Angel from 1997 to 2005. In the early 2000s, Tyra was one of the world's highest-earning models.

Tyra began acting on TV in the show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1993). Her first movie was Higher Learning (1995). In 2000, she had big movie roles as Eve in Disney Channel's Life-Size and Zoe in Coyote Ugly. She also had small parts in Love & Basketball (2000), Halloween: Resurrection (2002), Gossip Girl (2009), and Glee (2013).

In 2003, Tyra created the popular TV show America's Next Top Model. She was the main producer and host for 22 seasons. She also helped create True Beauty (2009–2010). Tyra had her own talk show, The Tyra Banks Show (2005–2010). This show won two Daytime Emmy awards. In 2017, Tyra hosted America's Got Talent. In 2020, she hosted Dancing with the Stars.

In 2010, Tyra wrote a book for young adults called Modelland. It was based on her life as a model. The book became a New York Times best-seller in 2011. She also owns a production company called Bankable Productions. This company made The Tyra Banks Show and America's Next Top Model. Time magazine has named Tyra one of the world's most influential people many times.

Tyra's Early Life and School

Tyra Lynne Banks was born in Inglewood, California, on December 4, 1973. Her mother, Carolyn London, was a medical photographer. Her father, Donald Banks, was a computer consultant. Tyra has an older brother named Devin. When Tyra was six, her parents divorced.

She went to John Burroughs Middle School. In 1991, she graduated from Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. Tyra has shared that she was teased for her looks when she was younger. She felt like an "ugly duckling." When she was 11, she grew three inches and lost 30 pounds in three months.

In February 2012, Tyra finished a special nine-week course at Harvard University.

Becoming a Model

Banks in 2012

Tyra started modeling at age 15 while still in school. Four modeling agencies said no to her before L.A. Models signed her. At 16, she joined Elite Model Management. When she got a chance to model in Europe, she moved to Milan. In her first fashion season in 1991, she walked in 25 shows during Paris Fashion Week.

Tyra appeared in many fashion magazines. These included Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and Seventeen. She walked in fashion shows for famous designers like Chanel, Christian Dior, and Victoria's Secret. She was also in ads for CoverGirl cosmetics, Pepsi, and Nike. Tyra was one of the few Black models to become a Supermodel. In the mid-1990s, she came back to America to do more commercial modeling.

Tyra was the first Black woman on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She was also the first African-American woman on the cover of GQ. In 1997, she won the VH1 award for "Supermodel of the Year." That same year, she was the first African American chosen for the cover of the Victoria's Secret catalog. She also became a Victoria's Secret Angel.

In 2019, Tyra came out of modeling retirement. She posed for one of the three 2019 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covers. This was her third cover for the magazine, 22 years after her first. She also announced that her modeling name would now be BanX. In 2024, Tyra walked in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show again.

TV and Movie Career

Banks at Cannes Film Festival in 2000

Tyra's TV career started on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She played Will Smith's old friend, Jackie Ames. She appeared in seven episodes. She also had roles in Felicity, All That, and Gossip Girl.

Tyra started her production company, Bankable Productions. This company produced The Tyra Banks Show and America's Next Top Model. It also produced the 2008 movie The Clique. Tyra was the main producer and host of America's Next Top Model. She also hosted The Tyra Banks Show, a daytime talk show for young women. This show ran from 2005 to 2010. In 2008 and 2009, Tyra won Daytime Emmy Awards for her work on The Tyra Banks Show.

Tyra's first big movie role was in 1994 in Higher Learning. She then starred with Lindsay Lohan in the Disney movie Life-Size. In this movie, she played a doll named Eve who comes to life. Other movies she has been in include Love & Basketball (2000), Coyote Ugly (2000), and Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009).

In 2015, Tyra co-hosted the talk show FABLife. She left the show after a few months to focus on her cosmetics company. In 2018, Tyra returned to acting in Life-Size 2. This movie premiered on Freeform.

In July 2020, it was announced that Tyra would be the new host of Dancing with the Stars. She hosted the show for three seasons. In March 2023, Tyra decided to leave the show to focus on her business.

Other Projects

Banks at a book signing in 1995

Cosmetics

In 2014, Tyra started her own makeup brand called Tyra Beauty. She even took a special course at Harvard Business School for it. Tyra Beauty uses a system where people can sell the products. These sellers are called "beautytainers."

In 2011, Tyra launched her fashion and beauty website, "typeF.com." In 2015, she launched "tyra.com," a website where people can buy her makeup.

Music

Tyra has appeared in several music videos. These include Michael Jackson's "Black or White" and George Michael's "Too Funky". In 2004, she released her first song, "Shake Ya Body." The music video for this song featured contestants from America's Next Top Model. She also sang "Be a Star" for the Life-Size (2000) movie soundtrack.

Writing

In 1998, Tyra helped write a book called Tyra's Beauty, Inside and Out. In 2010, she announced she would write a novel called Modelland. This book was loosely based on her own modeling experiences. It was published in 2011 and became a New York Times best-seller. In 2018, Tyra and her mother, Carolyn London, wrote another book called "Perfect is Boring."

Teaching

In August 2016, Tyra became a guest lecturer at Stanford University. She taught about how to build your own personal brand.

Personal Life

Tyra Banks dated photographer Erik Asla for a few years. In January 2016, their son, York Banks Asla, was born.

Helping Others

Tyra started the TZONE program. This program helps young people develop leadership and life skills. She also created the Tyra Banks Scholarship. This scholarship helps African-American girls go to her old high school, Immaculate Heart High School. In 2005, TZONE became a public charity called the Tyra Banks TZONE.

Filmography

Banks in 2011

Film

Television

Music videos

See also

In Spanish: Tyra Banks para niños