
"A smart model is a good model," Tyra Banks was once quoted as saying, and she seems destined to prove it in every way. Now widely known as one of the world's foremost supermodels, Banks began her modeling career at the age of 17 with the Elite agency after flirting with attending college at Loyola Marymount. The 5'11" beauty was quickly discovered in Los Angeles, her birth city, and offered a healthy contract with cosmetics company Cover Girl -- becoming only the third African-American woman in the world to secure such an opportunity. Her striking looks and business savvy extended to several offers, including assignments with Ralph Lauren and various magazine covers (over 20 to be exact), including Sports Illustrated and most notably GQ, where Banks became the first black woman ever to grace the cover. In addition to various ads and runway gigs, Banks decided to branch out into feature films, scoring a few high-profile gigs, starring as Omar Epps' love interest in John Singleton's racially charged drama Higher Learning (1995) and snagging a stint opposite Will Smith on TV's The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. These breakout roles led to more film work, including a British sexploitation film called Inferno and a comic turn in 1999's Love Stinks with actors French Stewart and Bill Bellamy. In 2000, Banks landed a high-profile gig in the critically dismissed but lively Jerry Bruckheimer production Coyote Ugly. Banks would find a useful avenue for her skills as a producer, host, and co-creator of the competetive reality show America's Next Top Model, an immensely successful franchise that would run from 2003 to 2012. Though her self-absorbed personna would often find her the subject of mockery, Banks would also launch an unsuccessful music career, as well as a talk show, and a handful of other reality shows, like True Beauty, and Stylista. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi
Movie | The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2010 | Herself | 2010-11-30 |
Series | Shake It Up | Unknown | 2010-11-07 |
Movie | Hannah Montana: The Movie | Herself | 2009-04-10 |
Series | Glee | Unknown | 2009-05-19 |
Movie | Tropic Thunder | Herself - The Tyra Banks Show | 2008-08-09 |
Series | Gossip Girl | Unknown | 2007-09-19 |
Series | Web Junk 20 | Unknown | 2006-01-13 |
Series | Pulling | Deja | 2006-11-23 |
Series | The Tyra Banks Show | 2005-09-12 | |
Series | Wild 'n Out | Unknown | 2005-07-28 |
Series | Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List | Unknown | 2005-08-03 |
Series | Deal or No Deal | Unknown | 2005-12-19 |
Movie | The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2005 | Tyra Banks | 2005-12-06 |
Series | On Air with Ryan Seacrest | Unknown | 2004-01-01 |
Series | The Tony Danza Show | Unknown | 2004-09-13 |
Series | Punk'd | Unknown | 2003-03-17 |
Series | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Unknown | 2003-01-26 |
Series | America's Next Top Model | Herself - Host | 2003-05-20 |
Series | All of Us | Unknown | 2003-09-16 |
Movie | The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2003 | Tyra Banks | 2003-11-19 |
Series | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Unknown | 2003-09-08 |
Series | E!'s 101 | Unknown | 2003-07-13 |
Series | E! Live From the Red Carpet | Unknown | 2002-01-13 |
Series | American Dreams | Unknown | 2002-09-29 |
Movie | The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2002 | Tyra Banks | 2002-11-20 |
Movie | Eight Crazy Nights | Victoria's Secret Gown (voice) | 2002-11-27 |
Series | Good Day Live | Unknown | 2001-09-17 |
Movie | The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2001 | Herself - Model | 2001-11-15 |
Movie | Love & Basketball | Kyra Kessler | 2000-04-21 |
Movie | Life-Size | Eve | 2000-03-05 |
Series | Soul Food | Unknown | 2000-06-28 |
Movie | Coyote Ugly | Zoe | 2000-07-30 |
Series | The Early Show | Unknown | 1999-11-01 |
Series | The Hughleys | Unknown | 1998-09-22 |
Series | Felicity | Unknown | 1998-09-29 |
Series | Just Shoot Me! | Unknown | 1997-03-04 |
Series | The View | Unknown | 1997-08-11 |
Series | The Daily Show with Trevor Noah | Unknown | 1996-07-22 |
Series | MADtv | Unknown | 1995-10-14 |
Series | New York Undercover | Unknown | 1994-09-08 |
Series | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Unknown | 1993-09-13 |
Series | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Unknown | 1992-05-25 |
Series | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Unknown | 1990-09-10 |
Series | The Wombles | Holly Garnett | 1973-02-05 |
Series | The Price Is Right | Barker“s Beauty | 1972-09-04 |
Movie | Oscar | Unknown | 1967-10-10 |
Movie | Fail-Safe | Unknown | 1964-10-07 |
Series | Today | Unknown | 1952-01-14 |
Series | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | Nora | 1951-10-05 |