Tyra Lynne Banks (1973-) is an African American talk show host, actress, singer, writer, and former model. Banks was born in Inglewood, California. She began modeling at the age of 15, and soon she became an international supermodel. At a very young age, she started doing print and runway work for major brands in fashion, advertisement, and the food industry. Banks appeared on the covers of leading fashion and lifestyle magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire, and Vogue. She was also the first African American model to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

Banks started her acting career in the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1993. Later, she appeared in a number of television series, ...