Tyra Banks

One of the world's top supermodels in the 1990s and into the 21st century, Tyra Banks broke through the limited career options available to the distractingly beautiful and made a name for herself as a compassionate, media-savvy television producer and host. Having conquered international fashion magazines and runways, Banks racked up a number of significant achievements in the U.S. as the first African-American model to grace the covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and the Victoria's Secret lingerie catalog. Banks made a handful of acting efforts, including a stint on "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" (NBC, 1990-96) before finding her niche as the creator and original host of "America's Next Top Model" (UPN/The CW, 2003-2015, VH1 2016- ) and "The Tyra Banks Show" (syndicated, 2005-10). The supermodel talent search peppered with cat fights became a top-rated guilty pleasure, while Banks' syndicated daytime talk show rose above the competition, thanks to the hostess' emotional and personal approach to sensitive female topics such as body image and gender roles. Even after leaving hosting duties for "Top Model" in 2015 (before announcing her return in 2017), Banks' ongoing philanthropic and onscreen efforts to empower and encourage young women led to her recognition as a powerful one-woman media empire styled after her idol, Oprah Winfrey.