I am Tyra Banks. I was born December 4, 1973, I’m an American television personality, model, producer, writer, and actress. Born in Inglewood, California, I began my career as a model at the age of 15 and was the first African-American woman to be featured on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, on which I appeared three times. I was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 1997 to 2005. By the early 2000s, I was one of the world's top-earning models.