Tyra Banks was born April 12, 1973, in Los Angeles, California. Growing up in Los Angeles, Tyra was able to take full advantage of the Southern California lifestyle. Despite the fact that her parents divorced when she was very young, her mother taught her afrequently about the moral virtues.

During her young teenage years, Tyra was tall and bean-pole skinny, and constantly teased by her brother and her classmates because of her awkward appearance

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.

She moved to Paris for a year and modeled for many of the big names in fashion, including Ralph Lauren and Chanel. She returned to the States and continued modeling, working her way up through the ranks and diversify her activities.

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.

Tyra Banks’ film experience includes roles in Jerry Bruckheimer's "Coyote Ugly" and the Disney made-for-television movie "Life Size."

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.

Tyra Banks was the first black model on the cover of Sports Illustrated and the first black woman and first model to be featured on the cover of GQ. She likes being part of modeling history and breaking barriers.