She was born in Los Angeles, California. She has brown hair, brown eyes, and is African-American. In 1991, Tyra was just weeks away from starting her freshman year at college when Elite, a fashion magazine, gave the 17-year-old her first modelling job. Instead of heading to school, she headed to Paris for fashion shows. Tyra became internationally known. She is now featured in a wide array of magazines, commercials, and billboards. Her credits include Cover Girl, Swatch, Pepsi, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, and Dolce & Gabbana, among many others.
She was the first African-American to feature on the cover of GQ, Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue and the Victoria's Secret catalog. It was her Victoria's Secret work in particular that made her famous. In 1997, Tyra won the prestigious Michael Award for Supermodel of the Year.
She stars in a television show called America's Next Top Model, where she coaches aspiring models.
Tyra has also starred in the following movies: