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Tyra Banks, on her status as a sex
symbol. People still tend to think of Tyra Banks as "just a model," but
with three movies coming out this year, including Coyote Ugly, she's ready
to show the world that she can do more than just pose for photographers.
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, Tyra 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, and there were even rumors a few months ago that
Oprah Winfrey is grooming her to take over her show. |
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"American Dreams" .... Carolyn
Gill (1 episode, 2004)
... aka Our Generation (Australia) (USA: working title)
- Chasing the Past (2004) TV episode .... Carolyn Gill
Larceny (2004)
"All of Us" .... Roni (1 episode, 2004)
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2004) TV episode .... Roni
Eight Crazy Nights (2002) (voice) .... Victoria's Secret Gown
... aka Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights (USA: complete title)
Halloween: Resurrection (2002) .... Nora Winston
"Soul Food" .... Nina Joseph (1 episode, 2001)
- Ordinary Pain (2001) TV episode .... Nina Joseph
"Felicity" .... Jane Scott (3 episodes, 2000)
- A Good Egg (2000) TV episode .... Jane Scott
- Kissing Mr. Covington (2000) TV episode .... Jane Scott
- One Ball, Two Strikes (2000) TV episode .... Jane Scott
Coyote Ugly (2000) .... Zoe
"Mad TV" .... Katisha (2 episodes, 2000)
- Episode #5.25 (2000) TV episode .... Katisha
- Episode #5.17 (2000) TV episode
Life-Size (2000) (TV) .... Eve
Love & Basketball (2000) .... Kyra Kessler
... aka Love and Basketball (USA: closing credits title)
The Apartment Complex (1999) (TV)
"The Hughleys" .... Nicole (1 episode, 1999)
- Sap and the Star (1999) TV episode .... Nicole
Love Stinks (1999) .... Holly Garnett
"New York Undercover" .... Natasha Claybourne (3 episodes, 1997)
... aka Uptown Undercover
- Descell (1997) TV episode .... Natasha Claybourne
- Hubris (1997) TV episode .... Natasha Claybourne
- Outrage (1997) TV episode .... Natasha Claybourne
A Woman Like That (1997)
Higher Learning (1995) .... Deja
Extra Terrorestrial Alien Encounter (1994) .... Hostess
"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" .... Jackie Ames (7 episodes, 1993)
- You've Got to Be a Football Hero (1993) TV episode .... Jackie
Ames
- Take My Cousin... Please (1993) TV episode .... Jackie Ames
- Fresh Prince After Dark (1993) TV episode .... Jackie Ames
- Blood Is Thicker Than Mud (1993) TV episode .... Jackie Ames
- Father of the Year (1993) TV episode .... Jackie Ames
(2 more)
Inferno (1992) (TV)
... aka Inferno! (International: English title)
Black or White (1991) (V) |
