Tyra Confesses She Created an Alter Ego for 'Top Model'

Tyra Banks talks about creating a persona for her show, "America's Next Top Model!"

Dreux Dougall Dec, 06, 2011

It’s no wonder Tyra Banks was able to create such successful characters in her novel, “Modelland,” she creates them in real life!

The “America’s Next Top Model” creator appeared on the CNN special “Dinner with Kings” on Sunday, in which she admitted to Larry King that the person she plays on her hit reality series, “America’s Next Top Model,” is a full-on persona.

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“When I did my show, created my show or whatever, I also created a persona on ‘Top Model.’ And it’s a character,” she tells King. “So, when I’m sitting there and I have all this make-up on, and I’m like, ‘Your picture’s not fierce…’ talking all that and reprimanding the girls, that is a character.”

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On her show, you can often catch her alter-ego in action, giving lots of tips on the industry. Her favorite, telling the girls to “Smize” (smile with your eyes), is a trick that her character likes to enforce.

“It’s a character, but people think it’s real. I’m so not sexy. I know how to turn it on for a picture, but I’m not sexy in real life.”

Do you love her “character” on the show?