Tyson Beckford - Biography And Career

 

Tyson was born Craig Beckford was born on December 19, 1971, in New York. Growing up in Jamaica and the Big Apple, he had no intention of becoming a model. His exotic eyes and high cheekbones, a fascinating combination resulting from his Jamaican-Panamanian-Chinese ancestry, were mocked by his classmates.

 

When the editor of hip hop magazine The Source noticed the man who would become one of People magazine's Most Beautiful People in 1991, he was barely out of his teens. Within two years, the 6ft 2in hunk was the face of Ralph Lauren's Polo Sport fragrance campaign.

Tyson, who has at least eight tattoos on his chiseled body, soon found himself on the covers of dozens of magazines, posing for top photographers Herb Ritts and Bruce Weber, and was named VH1's 1995 Model Of The Year. Style icons such as Ralph Lauren praised him for his "all-American look with a dramatic edge," saying, "He conveys power, style, and intelligence in a very exciting way."

Tyson's path hasn't always been easy as a pioneer in his field. He once turned down a coveted spot on the Milan Fashion Week catwalk because he was the only black man invited. "There are so many African-American and African men trying to get jobs, and they weren't giving them jobs," he explained at the time. "I'm not the only brother trying to make it out here. As a result, I did not attend."

But the father-of-one, Jordan, who was born in 1998, quickly set his sights beyond fashion stardom. Tyson has previously demonstrated his screen presence in music videos such as Toni Braxton's Unbreak My Heart and Britney Spears' Toxic. He also has his gorgeous brown eyes on the big screen.

After appearing in the little-seen Boricua's Bond and a comic turn as himself in the Ben Stiller male model spoof Zoolander, he moved on to bigger roles, including a role in Biker Boyz alongside The Matrix star Laurence Fishburne.

Breaking into Hollywood hasn't been easy for the handsome star, who admits that his good looks can be more of a hindrance than a help at times. "Going on an audition and not getting the job is a bad day for me right now," he says. "I need to prove myself because (casting directors) think I'm just a pretty boy who can't talk."

Meanwhile, the model decided to round out his image by appearing on the American version of the reality TV show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!. "When people see me in fashion ads, they might think I'm a little pretentious," he says. "They don't know a lot of things about me. This is their chance to find out who I am."