Tyra Banks Quotes

I didn't start singing until I was 16. I was afraid to sing in front of people.

I was too shy to do any vocal lessons or go to choirs; I just didn't want to be seen doing it. It's something that I kept to myself. I started easing into it, and I started doing talent shows, and YouTube really helped with that, too.

Once I decided to be a different person on stage, I got the chance to be larger than life and over the top, which I love.

On the microphone, I'm not scared to step up and say, 'This is my ability, this is how good I am.' In other areas of life, I'm not so confident; I'm still adjusting to the photo shoots, all that stuff. But behind the mic, I'm fully confident.

I grew up watching 'Grease,' and 'Grease 2.' I fantasized about walking through school halls and busting out in a song. At that time, I was too much of a chicken to do so. I'd love the challenge now.

I was terribly shy and never said anything in class. Then I started getting into school plays. When you've got words to say, you've got a sort of armour.

Dance has definitely made me a better role model.When I'm performing, I'm always thinking about my face and my look. I used to have a much harder time with it.

My audience knows me, and I wear beautiful clothes as a badge of honor. They remember where I came from.

Acting is therapeutic. I say I'm not shy, but... Acting is a very vulnerable experience, and you've got to be really confident to put yourself out there to be judged.

I was always singing to myself, but I never ever performed, and I never told anyone I liked to sing. So it was a definitely a new adventure going in to audition for 'Glee.'

I wasn't really the most charming person, socially - it took me a long time to develop my people skills - but the one place I was always comfortable was onstage, acting or singing.

I used to hate getting dressed, getting in front of the camera and walking down the red carpet. It bothered me because I felt like I couldn't be what they wanted me to be. Now it's still not my favorite thing, but I get through it a lot easier because I know that my work brings value to who I am.

You grow up and change your look. I feel different from how I did in my Playboy days. Now I think I'm in charge of toning down my look or not.

You know I was a shy guy and people didn't know that and still don't know it today. I'm sure basketball brought my shyness out because of the fact that you have to do interviews, and that people are always talking to you in terms of the fans and everything.

I was shy and didn't believe in myself, and I only bloomed when I was in theater during rehearsal. And that's how my family found out that that's where I needed to be, because that's where I felt the most comfortable.

I realized that I didn't want to do anything else. Plus, I realized I was good, and, most importantly, I actually loved to sing on stage.

Facing the press is not easy, but because you have to go, you have to try to take a lot of positive things for yourself from these face-to-face meetings.

In high school, I was too shy to perform. It's one thing to get laughs from your family, to be funny at parties and in class. It's another thing to get up on the stage.

I think that, just in general, my number one priority is to just go out of your way to stay yourself and put yourself out there in a positive way. It's so easy, and you can connect with a lot of your friends.

There is a shy side to me that evaporates when I play on stage, and I like that. I think it's another facet of my character, and I need to do that.

College gave me validation: I gained a lot of confidence, just from once or twice saying something in class and the professor saying, 'Great idea.' That experience has certainly helped me say to a director, 'Actually, I think my idea is at least worth talking about.'

I didn't grow up jumping in front of the class and performing, but I definitely had a hunger to be creative.

When you are in the public eye, it is really counterproductive to think about how you're viewed in the eyes of others. You just have to be who you are.

You often hear when you talk to guys in our industry, that this is my personality, I just turn the volume up, but over the years, I've really become me. No volume turned up, no nothing. I've been able to go out there and just be myself. It's through solid performance after solid performance that people just take you for who you are.

I want to show people that I am comfortable enough to go on national television and just be myself.