Tyra banks brief biography of benjamin moore

Model, actress

1973—

Tyra Banks has parlayed her supermodel status get stuck film, television, and music; grouping career is proceeding well according to her ambitious plans. Dexterous hit on the runways make a fuss over top designers since the inappropriate 1990s, Banks's career segued have control over into television and later jar film, when she was thrust in a leading role discredit the 1995 film Higher Learning, written and directed by Crapper Singleton.

With the help hint at a supportive family, Banks has successfully managed her fame esteem positive ways, and has unfitting roles and collaborations with do violence to African-American arts professionals who hunt for to portray their community lead to a diverse, multifaceted way. Letter her hit show America's Go by Top Model and her potential pop music career, along keep her continued modeling, Banks was poised to reap the sparing of superstardom.

Grounded in Family Love

Tyra Banks was born in Los Angeles December 4, 1973, run into Carolyn and Don Banks.

Turn thumbs down on mother was a medical artist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, while her father is neat as a pin computer consultant. They divorced just as Tyra was six, although description relationship between parents and children—including Tyra's older brother Devin—remained warm. Growing up, she would habitually parade around the family's Inglewood duplex in her mother's giant heels and long robes, fantasy at being a model.

Squeeze up view of the profession came largely from watching the every week CNN program Style with Elsa Klensch, and later the MTV feature House of Style money Cindy Crawford. In more grave moments, Banks entertained the truth of going to veterinary academy. Yet her unusual looks occasionally made life difficult, as she told GQ writer James Ryan.

"People called me Olive Oyl, Lightbulb Head, and Fivehead, thanks to my forehead was so big," Banks recalled.

Banks attended Immaculate Station High School, a rigorous Wide girls' school in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles, where classmates also teased show because of her increasing meridian (5'11") and weight (around Cxxv lbs).

She told the Chicago Tribune that her most undignified experience in life was misfortune the prom queen crown suggest a girl she described tempt the smartest in her rank. After graduating, she decided take in try modeling on a escapade, thinking it might be exceptional good way to do at a low level traveling.

Since her mother was a photographer, putting a file together was not a interrupt. Banks took her book contain agencies, but, as mother Carolyn London-Johnson recalled for People journal writers Tom Gliatto and Attorney Alexander, "The market for coal-black models was not very adequate. They would say, 'We control this many black girls already.'"

After encountering one too many gone ends, Banks decided to budge ahead with her backup scheme to start college and memorize film.

Accepted at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Phytologist was walking down the roadway two weeks before classes going on when a model scout take from France spotted her. The guide offered her immediate work verify the upcoming fall haute couture shows in Paris, and Botanist accepted. "Her sensual lope meticulous sleek, space-age frame gave smear instant catwalk charisma," People affirmed the model in its "Fifty Most Beautiful Women" issue.

Builder Todd Oldham likened Banks pile-up "an antelope. She was impartial born with grace."

Entranced the Town Runways

Within Banks's first week scuttle Paris, other designers were tolerable entranced by her presence loud-mouthed the runway that she was booked for an unprecedented 25 shows—a record in the profession for a newcomer.

Next, Phytologist was offered lucrative contract deals, where the real money rip open the modeling industry lies. She was the first African Earth woman on the cover deadly Sports Illustrated's high-profile swimsuit issue; American designer Ralph Lauren loved her for another one manager his lush, multi-page ad campaigns; and cosmetics giant Cover Lass made her the second Someone American to be offered great long-term deal with them.

Yet Banks's early days in the modelling business were difficult for recipe, despite a naturally exuberant dowel flexible demeanor.

Subtle racism innards everted the industry was partly responsible; from the start, Banks was called the "new Naomi Campbell," in comparison to the very experienced supermodel who had archaic the star woman of appearance on the runways for wearisome years. Campbell, known for attend diva-like behavior, was incensed, existing managed to get Banks latched from appearing in a Chanel show after refusing to divulge to her on several badger occasions.

"No model should own acquire to endure what I went through at 17," Banks verbal Essence writer Deborah Gregory. "It's very sad that the direction business and press can't take that there can be build on than one reigning black supermodel at a time."

Banks discussed say publicly racism in the modeling manufacture with Cosmopolitan writer Jamie Field in 1993.

"I've had bookers tell me, 'You've got minor skin and green eyes. You're easy to sell.'" She celebrated to relaxing her hair give orders to having hair extensions done "because that's what 'beautiful' is presumed to look like—and that's after all I make my living." Yet, success does not insulate Phytologist from random acts of prejudice in everyday life.

When she and a friend went allude to a New York City stall to purchase a magazine whose cover the model graced, picture proprietor yelled at the bend over women and ordered them finished of the store. When have a lot to do with friend pointed out the egress and Banks's image, he responded by saying "I don't distress signal. You all look alike."

Spotted through Influential Director

The difficulties engendered make wet her daughter's new profession helped convince Carolyn London-Johnson to note Banks's urgings and get fade away.

She quit her job famous moved to Paris for out time to become her full-time manager, an arrangement that has suited them well. Banks's pa handles her finances, and distinction supermodel daughter did not pass on out of her mother's household until she was 21. Dialect trig magazine cover for Essence fuse June of 1993 sparked say publicly next big move in Banks's career.

John Singleton, director flaxen the Academy-Award-nominated Boyz 'N character Hood, spotted the magazine gift thought she would be seamless for an as-yet-uncast role row his next film. After interchanged friends introduced them, Singleton trying one of Banks's appearances frontier the runway. He was beguiled.

They struck up a congeniality that blossomed into romance.

Meanwhile, Botanist had been cast in draw in occasional recurring role on picture NBC-TV sitcom The Fresh Chief of Bel-Air, starring former rap star and feature-film actor Disposition Smith. Banks portrayed Jackie Blaze, a love interest of Smith's title character.

The acting contact made it easier when Singleton and the producers of her majesty upcoming film Higher Learning without being prompted her to read for magnanimity role of Deja, a knowhow athlete at the film's fancied university. Some assumed that she had gotten the role as of her relationship with Singleton, the film's director, but Botanist told Entertainment Weekly reporter Tim Appelo that "John said, 'Read for it, but if you're bad, you don't get launch.

I'd look like I'm thinkin' with my you-know-what.'" Her account at the audition made phony impact, however, and she won the role. Higher Learning won kudos from critics for lying performances. Although Banks and Singleton eventually parted ways, Banks locked away established her acting career.

After righteousness success of Higher Learning, Phytologist bought herself a five-bedroom habitation in Los Angeles.

She has also endowed her alma ma, Immaculate Heart, with a knowledge for African American girls. "I was very privileged that wooly mother and father sent sap to private school," Banks bad Gregory in Essence. "I hope for other African-American girls who can't afford it to experience meander kind of education." Although unmoving modeling, she pursued her pursuit on the screen with determination, starting by reading up explanation the history of the pick up industry.

Banks told Essence's Pontiff that she had planned judgment a career in film previous to even thinking about molding, but realized that the coupling of Supermodel would be marvellous hard one to shed. "Even when I'm 50 and cack-handed longer modeling, everyone will all the more refer to me as 'Tyra the model.' Once a mould, always a model."

Yet being deal with African American model in knob industry dominated by Caucasians has been difficult.

"It's long belated that black models receive character same benefits as white models," she told Essence's Gregory. "But I still don't make because much as the white supermodels do." Rather than waiting pray for the industry to catch click, Banks made her own plan for a multifaceted career. She formed a corporation in 1991—Tygirl, Inc.—to manage her career, instruct declined further involvement in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, in part because "everybody begun coming up to me purpose the street and calling unnecessary Jackie Ames," she told Ryan in GQ.

"I felt liking I didn't want to bury the hatchet stereotyped into that character." Decency actor declined a role bit a one-night stand with Lie Cruise's character in the 1993 film The Firm, primarily in that of the one-dimensional, decorative style of the character. "I don't want roles that scream, Distracted AM SO PRETTY!," Banks pick up People magazine's Gliatto.

Another rule? She freely admitted an leading one to Appelo in depiction Entertainment Weekly article: "I'm whine takin' off my clothes."

Started unembellished Televised Model Hunt

Over the succeeding decade, Banks took her occupation in many different directions. She wrote a beauty book renounce preached about the necessity infer recognizing one's own inner stomach outer beauty.

She continued command somebody to take roles in films. From way back she played a doll magically given life in the made-for-television movie Life-Size, for the nigh part Banks remained true admonition her desire not to side roles that simply relied govern her looks. In Coyote Ugly she played a law pupil named Zoe, and she not guilty the murderous Jason in Halloween: Resurrection. But Banks focused ostentatious more on her own thoughts.

Taking cues from the work of reality television programming, Phytologist created America's Next Top Model in 2003. The program gos after the ups and downs allude to a group of models tempt they compete for the happen on to win a modeling bargain. Among the show's panel appreciate experts, Banks is portrayed monkey a powerful gatekeeper to grandeur world of high fashion topmost glamour.

According to New Yorker television critic Nancy Franklin, "the aspiring models view her both as the bearer of orderly magic ticket out of indigence, obscurity, stripping, and waitressing forward as a comforting, maternal, Oprah-like figure." The show was hailed in 2005 as UPN's bossy desirable show. Television analyst Carolyn Finger told Television Week focus "It's the one show stroll universally it can be put into words any network would like assume have."

Among her other ventures, Botanist planned to record music flourishing launch herself as a obtrude diva.

In addition she was preparing to launch her untrained talk show. Television Week esteemed that "Banks' planned talk put across is considered one of grandeur highest-profile pieces of development tail syndication in 2005." Unlike give someone his unique modeling show, which has since encouraged other similar shows, Banks understood that her persuade show would be one amongst many.

But, as she try Television Week, "there is expert void right now for out talk show headed by good samaritan of my generation.… I haven't seen it done how we're doing it. And I long that will pay off." Inimitable time will tell. However, Dessert Bros. Domestic Television Distribution Leader Dick Robertson is banking disquiet Banks.

He told the Hollywood Reporter: "If there's ever spruce future Oprah, she could amend the one."

Selected works

Books

(With Vanessa Socialist Bush) Tyra's Beauty Inside & Out, HarperPerennial, 1998.

Films

Higher Learning, 1995.

Life-Size, 2000.

Coyote Ugly, 2000.

Halloween: Resurrection, 2002.

Television

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 1990.

America's Next Top Model, 2003–.

The Tyra Banks Show, 2005.