Tyra Banks, on her status as a sex symbol. Tyra was born in Los Angeles on December 4th, 1973,
to a very loving and supportive family. Despite the divorce of her parents when she was only six
years old, and the torments of her older brother Devin, Tyra's youth was happy and trouble-free.
Though it might now be hard to believe, Tyra was a tall, skinny and awkward adolescent. She was
constantly teased by her brother and her classmates, and often ran home crying to her mother for
comfort. Then, late in high school, everything changed for her. She filled out her skinny frame,
began to work out and finally decided to become a model. Tyra pursued that goal with the determination
that now marks all of her activities. And after being turned down by four modeling agencies because
they thought her face wasn't photogenic, she was finally signed by the Elite agency when she was
17. So, instead of going to Loyola Marymount College, Tyra moved to Paris for a year and modeled
for many of the big names in fashion, including Ralph Lauren and Chanel. She then moved back to
the States and continued modeling, rocketing her way up through the ranks. Soon Tyra began to
diversify her activities, having a small part in the British television movie, Inferno as a
supermodel, and then appearing on Will Smith's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in a recurring supporting
role. Tyra's first real movie role came in John Singleton's Higher Learning. She played Omar Epps'
track-running girlfriend and though it was a small role, critics were impressed by the intensity
she brought to the screen. She was definitely not just another supermodel playing at being an
actress -- her performance was the real thing. She even did some distance-running training, in
order to turn in a more believable performance. When the film came out, movie offers began to
roll in, but Tyra chose not to act in just anything. Instead, she continued her meteoric rise
in the modeling ranks, appearing on the covers of several magazines. In fact, she was the first
African-American woman ever to be featured on the covers of GQ magazine, the Victoria's Secret
catalog, and the famous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She made People Magazine's "50 Most
Beautiful" list not once, but twice, and even wrote a revealing book about her life, Tyra's Beauty
Inside & Out. She also had a few high-profile relationships, first with John Singleton and then
with pop singer Seal. She is rumored to have gone out with Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and...
Mark Messier? Strangely enough, yes. Sick of the constant scrutiny inherent in celebrity
relationships, she returned to her high school sweetheart, a law student; but that didn't
protect her from the rumors, most recently linking her with LA Lakers Kobe Bryant, Rick Fox,
and even Teresa Weatherspoon, who plays for New York in the WNBA. In interviews, however, Tyra
often says that she is looking for a "Normal Guy", albeit a tall one --She measures 5'11". Tyra
appeared in one or two movies during this time, but only really began to work in Hollywood last
year, with a small part in Love Stinks. Then, the year 2000 brought with it a supporting role in
the popular independent film Love & Basketball, and a starring role in the made-for-TV Disney
movie Life-Size (in which she played a doll brought to life by a wish). Now an important part
in Coyote Ugly has brought Tyra back into the limelight. She plays a wild bartender, which is
quite ironic because she has said several times that she doesn't drink alcohol. She doesn't
watch what she eats, though, unlike most other models; she has gone on record stating that she
often eats barbecued ribs, fried chicken wings, ice cream, and fast-food. In one talk show
appearance, proclaimed her love for Ketchup packets, and argued that the sole purpose of french
fries was to allow you to scoop up puddles of ketchup. So how does she stay in shape? She plays
lots of sports, particularly basketball and tennis, and makes sure she always has fun while
exercising. The future looks bright for Tyra Banks. She stars in two upcoming movies, one of
which -- Disney's Honey Thunder Dunk -- she will also be producing, she is one of the richest
supermodels in the world, with a personal wealth recently valued at 8.8 million dollars.
2003 America's Next Top Model [TV Series]
Character played: Host
Credits: Executive Producer
2002 Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights
Character played: Victoria's Secret Gown
2002 Halloween: Resurrection
Character played: Nora Winston
2001 Larceny
2000 Coyote Ugly
Character played: Zoe
2000 Life-Size
1999 The Apartment Complex
1999 Love Stinks
Character played: Holly Garnett
1998 The Teen Files: The Truth About Drinking
1998 Smoking: The Truth Unfiltered
Character played: Host
1998 Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit 1998
1997 Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit 1997
1995 Higher Learning
Character played: Deja
In the Mix: Smoking - The Truth Unfiltered
Character played: Host
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Alyssa Milano
