Tyra Lynne Banks, also known as BanX, is an American television character, model, businesswoman, producer, actress, and writer. Born in Inglewood, California, she began her modeling career at the age of 15 and was the first African woman to appear on the cover of GQ and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, on which she has appeared three times. She was the Victoria's Secret Angel from 1997 to 2005. In the early 2000s, Banks was one of the highest paying models in the world. Banks started acting in television in 1993 on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and made her film debut in the 1995 television series Higher Learning. In 2000, she had film roles. and Zoe at the box office Coyote Ugly. Banks played minor roles in the romantic sports film Love & Basketball and the horror film Halloween: Resurrection, and later appeared in the television series Gossip Girl and Glee.
She founded the television show America's Next Top Model and the makeup business TYRA Beauty as one of the world's most powerful individuals. From 2005 until 2010, she hosted The Tyra Banks Show. She is also an actress who starred in the films Life-Size and Life-Size 2.
