Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973) is an
American model, talk show
host,
actress,
singer and
businessperson.
[ ABC News: Tyra Banks Experiences Obesity Through Fat Suit][Tyra Banks On It - Forbes.com] She first became famous as a model in
Paris,
Milan,
London,
Tokyo and
New York, but television appearances were her commercial breakthrough. Banks is the creator and host of the
reality television show
America's Next Top Model. She also hosts her own
talk show,
The Tyra Banks Show.
Early life
Banks was born in
Inglewood,
California, the daughter of Carolyn (
née London), a fashion manager and NASA photographer, and Donald Banks, a computer consultant.
[Tyra Banks Biography (1973-)] The couple divorced in 1990, when Banks was 16 years old; although, the relationship of her parents, and especially her brother Devin Banks (born 1968), stayed friendly. Later, Carolyn married Clifford Johnson; she now goes by Carolyn London-Johnson. Banks attended
John Burroughs Middle School and graduated in 1991 from
Immaculate Heart High School in
Los Angeles. She was accepted by colleges such as
USC and
UCLA for television
producing.
[Tyra Banks: America's Next Top Mogul][www.imdb.com/title/tt1225232/]
