Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tyra Lynne Banks December 4, 1973 Inglewood, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Model, television host, producer, author, actress |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Known for | America's Next Top Model, The Tyra Banks Show, Victoria's Secret Angel |
| Notable work | Modelland (novel), America's Next Top Model (TV series) |
Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also recognized by the moniker BanX, is an American model, television host, producer, author, and actress. Originating from Inglewood, California, she embarked on her modeling career at the age of 15 and made history as the first Black American woman to grace the covers of both GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, appearing thrice in the latter. Banks was one of the select Black models to achieve Supermodel status and served as a Victoria's Secret Angel between 1997 and 2005. By the early 2000s, she was ranked among the highest-paid models globally.
Banks initiated her acting career with a guest appearance on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1993 and made her film debut in Higher Learning (1995). In 2000, she starred in Disney Channel’s Life-Size alongside the commercially successful Coyote Ugly. Her filmography also includes roles in Love & Basketball (2000) and Halloween: Resurrection (2002), as well as television appearances on series such as Gossip Girl (2009) and Glee (2013).
In 2003, Banks launched the widely acclaimed reality show America's Next Top Model, where she acted as executive producer and host for its initial twenty-two seasons until it was canceled in 2015. She continued as executive producer during its 2016 revival, briefly passing hosting responsibilities to Rita Ora, before returning for the twenty-fourth cycle. Additionally, Banks co-created True Beauty (2009–2010) and hosted her own talk show, The Tyra Banks Show (2005–2010), which earned two Daytime Emmy awards. In 2015, she co-hosted FABLife, and from 2017 to 2018, she led seasons twelve and thirteen of America's Got Talent. In 2020, Banks took on hosting and executive producing duties for season 29 of Dancing with the Stars.
Her literary work includes the young adult novel Modelland, published in 2010, which reached number one on The New York Times Best Seller list in 2011. Through her production company, Bankable Productions, Banks has produced projects such as The Tyra Banks Show, America's Next Top Model, and the film The Clique (2008). She stands among four African Americans and seven women who have been repeatedly recognized by Time as some of the most influential individuals worldwide. Furthermore, MODELS.com ranks her as one of only seventeen models bestowed with Legendary Supermodel status.
Early life and education
Tyra Lynne Banks was born on December 4, 1973, in Inglewood, California. Her mother, Carolyn London (now London-Johnson), works as a medical photographer, while her father, Donald Banks, is a computer consultant. She has an older brother named Devin. Following her parents’ divorce when she was six years old, Banks attended John Burroughs Middle School before graduating from Immaculate Heart High School in 1991. During her childhood, she endured teasing about her looks and referred to herself as an "ugly duckling" prior to experiencing a growth spurt at age eleven.
On an episode of America's Next Top Model, Banks disclosed results from a genealogical DNA analysis revealing that her ancestry is approximately "79% African, 14% British, and 6% Native American," with an additional trace of about 1% Finnish heritage. In February 2012, she completed a nine-week non-degree Owner/President Management program at Harvard University.
Modeling career
Banks embarked on her modeling journey at age 15 while enrolled at Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. Following some early setbacks, she secured a contract with L.A. Models before transitioning to Elite Model Management at 16, which prompted her relocation to Milan to pursue opportunities in Europe. During her debut runway season, she impressively booked 25 shows at the 1991 Paris Fashion Week. Her editorial work appeared in various international editions of Vogue—including American, Italian, French, and Spanish—as well as American, French, German, and Spanish Elle. Additionally, she featured in American, German, and Malaysian Harper's Bazaar, along with V, W, and Vanity Fair.
Banks has been showcased on the covers of numerous magazines such as Elle, Harper's Bazaar, the Spanish edition of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, and Teen Vogue. She has walked the runway for prestigious fashion houses including Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Valentino, Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Michael Kors, among others. Her portfolio also includes advertising campaigns for brands like Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Escada, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, H&M, Swatch, Versace, Victoria's Secret, Pepsi, and Nike. In 1993, Banks became a CoverGirl spokesperson, spearheading significant cosmetic campaigns. As one of the few Black models to attain supermodel status at the time, she made a notable return to commercial modeling in the United States during the mid-1990s.
She holds the distinction of being the first Black woman to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and was also the first African-American featured on the cover of GQ. In 1997, Banks earned VH1's "Supermodel of the Year" accolade and became both the inaugural African American on the Victoria's Secret catalog cover and a Victoria's Secret Angel. She rejoined her former agency IMG Models in 2010 and contributed content to the Vogue Italia website. In 2013, Banks collaborated with photographer Udo Spreitzenbarth to reinterpret her image by embodying the styles of 15 iconic supermodels.
Banks ended her modeling hiatus in 2019 by appearing on one of three covers for that year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, marking her third cover appearance 22 years after her initial feature. She briefly adopted the modeling pseudonym BanX but has since discontinued its use. In 2024, she made a runway comeback as the finale model for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
Television and film career
Banks launched her television career with a recurring role on season four of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, portraying Jackie Ames—Will Smith’s childhood friend—in seven episodes. Her other TV appearances include roles on Felicity, All That, MADtv, and serving as special guest host and team captain on Nick Cannon's Wild 'n Out. She also appeared as a guest Barker's Beauty on The Price Is Right and made a guest appearance on the animated talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
As founder of production company Bankable Productions, Banks produced several projects including The Tyra Banks Show, America's Next Top Model, and the 2008 feature film The Clique. She held executive producer duties and was formerly host and judge for America's Next Top Model. Her daytime talk show targeted primarily younger female audiences and aired from 2005 until its conclusion in 2010.
Banks earned back-to-back Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008 and 2009 for her contributions to The Tyra Banks Show. Her film debut occurred in 1994 with the drama Higher Learning. She starred alongside Lindsay Lohan in Disney’s Life-Size as a doll brought to life. Additional film credits include roles in Love Stinks (1999), Love & Basketball (2000), Coyote Ugly (2000), Halloween: Resurrection (2002), and Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009).
In television drama, Banks portrayed Ursula Nyquist during season three of Gossip Girl and had a cameo as a librarian on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up.
In 2012, she co-created and produced ABC’s comedy series Fivehead, inspired by her adolescent experiences. In 2015, Banks co-hosted the talk show FABLife alongside Chrissy Teigen and others but departed within three months to dedicate more attention to her cosmetics ventures. She resumed acting with a lead role in Freeform’s sequel film Life-Size 2 (2018). Banks is also executive producing and starring in the documentary series Beauty for Quibi. She secured first-look agreements with Universal Television in 2018 and ABC Signature in 2020.
In July 2020, Banks took over hosting duties for Dancing with the Stars, stepping down after three seasons in March 2023 to prioritize business projects.
Banks appeared on the rebooted version of game show Hollywood Squares in 2025. That same year in May, it was announced that she would headline a Netflix documentary focusing on her work with America's Next Top Model.
Cosmetics
In 2014, Banks launched the cosmetics company Tyra Beauty following her completion of a specialized non-degree certificate program at Harvard Business School designed for entrepreneurial ventures. Tyra Beauty functions through a multi-level marketing structure, enlisting sales representatives called "beautytainers." To select the initial brand ambassadors, she organized a casting call and chose Melody Parra, Monique Hayward, Katy Harvey, and Top Model Norge contestant Marita Gomsrud. Earlier, in 2011, Banks introduced the fashion and beauty platform "typeF.com" in partnership with Demand Media, and later debuted the interactive beauty e-commerce site "tyra.com" in 2015.
Music
Banks has featured in music videos for notable artists including Michael Jackson ("Black or White"), Mobb Deep ("Trife Life"), Tina Turner ("Love Thing"), George Michael ("Too Funky"), and Lionel Richie ("Don't Wanna Lose You"). Her debut single, "Shake Ya Body," was released in 2004 and included participants from America's Next Top Model cycle 2. Additionally, she collaborated with NBA star Kobe Bryant on the track "K.O.B.E.," which aired on NBA TV, and contributed the song "Be a Star" to the soundtrack of Life-Size (2000). In 2021, Banks teamed up with artist Todrick Hall to record "Fashón" for his album Femuline.
Writing
Banks co-wrote Tyra's Beauty, Inside and Out in 1998. In May 2010, she revealed plans for her novel Modelland, inspired loosely by her modeling career. Released in September 2011 as the first installment of a trilogy, Modelland reached the top position on The New York Times Best Seller list by October 2011. Later, in 2018, Banks collaborated with her mother, Carolyn London, to author Perfect is Boring.
Teaching
In August 2016, Banks was invited as a guest lecturer at Stanford University, where she spoke on personal branding.
Smize & Dream
In 2020, Banks established Smize & Dream (SMiZe Cream), a boutique ice cream company. Drawing inspiration from nostalgic moments of sharing ice cream with her mother during childhood, SMiZe initially offered packaged ice cream products in California. The brand has since expanded with pop-up locations in cities including Los Angeles, Dubai, Washington, D.C., and Sydney.
Personal life
During the 2010s, Banks was in a relationship with Norwegian photographer Erik Asla. The couple faced challenges with infertility and experienced unsuccessful in vitro fertilization procedures. Their son York Banks Asla was born in January 2016 through gestational surrogacy. Banks has openly stated that she abstains from alcohol consumption and has never engaged in recreational drug use.
She has also discussed her experiences with abusive relationships publicly. In 2005, she disclosed details about a relationship marked by infidelity and emotional abuse that ultimately strengthened her resilience. In 2009, Banks addressed issues of dating violence on The Oprah Winfrey Show, referencing the assault of Rihanna by Chris Brown.
In January 2025, Banks' residence in Los Angeles was destroyed by the Palisades Fire while she and her partner Louis Bélanger-Martinwas—who is involved with SMiZe—were traveling in Australia.
Education
Banks completed Harvard Business School's Owner/President Management Program (OPM), an intensive nine-week executive education course, in 2012. Following her announcement of participation, media outlets clarified that this program differs from Harvard’s traditional MBA degree. That year, Harvard professor Rohit Deshpande developed a case study on Banks's company Bankable Productions for use within the OPM curriculum.
Philanthropy
Tyra Banks established the TZONE initiative, which emphasizes cultivating leadership qualities and essential life skills. Additionally, she launched the Tyra Banks Scholarship aimed at supporting African-American female students in attending her former school, Immaculate Heart High School. In 2005, TZONE transitioned from a summer camp into the nonprofit organization known as Tyra Banks TZONE.
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Extra Terrestrial Alien Encounter | Hostess | Short film |
| 1995 | Higher Learning | Deja | |
| 1999 | Love Stinks | Holly Garnett | |
| Template:Sortname | Herself | Television movie | |
| 2000 | Love & Basketball | Kyra Kessler | |
| Life-Size | Eve | Television movie | |
| Coyote Ugly | Zoe | ||
| 2002 | Halloween: Resurrection | Nora Winston | |
| Eight Crazy Nights | Victoria's Secret Gown (voice) | ||
| 2004 | Larceny | Herself | |
| 2007 | Mr. Woodcock | Herself | |
| 2008 | Tropic Thunder | Herself | |
| 2009 | Hannah Montana: The Movie | Herself | |
| 2018 | Life-Size 2 | Eve | Television movie |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1993 | Eurotrash | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.5" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Template:Sortname | Jackie Ames | Recurring role, Season 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–94 | Soul Train | Herself/Guest Host | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards | Herself/Co-Host | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | All That | Customer | Episode: "Tyra Banks/Blackstreet" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Very Important Pennis | Herself | Episode: "Very Important Pennis: Part 3" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York Undercover | Natasha Claybourne | Recurring role, Season 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Space Ghost Coast to Coast | Herself | Episode: "Chinatown" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Soul Train Music Awards | Herself/Co-Host | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Greatest | Herself | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Teen Files | Herself | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Just Shoot Me! | Herself | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Barbie Q. Pepper (voice) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Template:Sortname | Nicole | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | 72nd Academy Awards#Main ceremony summary and highlights, including winners and presenters, and other ceremony information, and notes#Main ceremony summary and highlights, including winners and presenters, and other ceremony information, and notes | Herself/Countdown Host | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | Herself/Contestant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MADtv | Katisha | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Felicity | Jane Scott | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Soul Food | Nina Joseph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–18 | America's Next Top Model | Herself/Host | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Punk'd | Herself | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vibe Awards | Herself/Co-Host | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MADtv | Herself | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All of Us | Roni | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| American Dreams | (Carolyn Gill) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2005–10
|- The Tyra Banks Show |- Herself/Host |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- Music videos
Bibliography
Awards and nominations
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