With his exotic looks, toned body, and perfect facial features, its no wonder that Tyson Beckford is one of the world's most in demand male supermodels. Not to mention of the highest paid.

Born in the Bronx, Tyson's life got off to a rocky start. He sold drugs, was a gang member and was involved in crime. But he got his life on track after being spotted by a talent scout in a New York park, who recruited him for top hip hop magazine The Source, marking the change in his life from guns to glamour.

This lead to other modeling work and in 1993, Ralph Lauren hired him as the main model for its male sportswear range, Polo. On the back of this breakthrough, his career ascended with work for Vogue, VIBE, GQ, Essence, The New York Times, Men's Health and Details, among others. In 1995 he was named “Model of the Year” by VH1 and one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.

Ralph Lauren signed him to an exclusive contract that eventually landed him on the pages of Vogue, GQ, Details, Men's Health, vibe, The New York Times, Essence, Health & Fitness and a host of other publications.

He was considered for the part of Winston in 1998's How Stella Got Her Groove Back, which went on to launch Taye Diggs' big screen career.

But in 2000, Tyson successfully crossed over into movie work with a role in Boricua's Bond (that, in parts, echoed his early life on the streets of the Bronx), which he followed up with parts in Ben Stiller's Zoolander, Shottas, Pandora's Box, Gully, Biker Boyz, Searching for Bobby D, Gas, Into the blue and his latest flick, Dream Street.

He has also made appearances in top music videos, including Toni Braxton's mega hit Toni Braxton's Unbreak My Heart hip hop heavyweight 50 Cent's 21 Questions and pop superstar Britney Spears' Toxic. Along with guest roles in the TV shows My Wife & Kids and Half & Half.

In 2005, he was injured in a near-fatal hit and run accident with a tractor trailer. He lost control of his vehicle, which caught on fire and he only just managed to pull himself out of the truck before the fire reached him.

After the accident, he told Oprah: “People in the hospital asked me about modeling and I didn't care about that. I was alive and just wanted to see my son. He needed a new bike.

"We spend a lot of time worried about how we look and in the end, if you're dead it doesn't mean anything."

When Tyson isn't working he enjoys spending time with his son – Jordan, collecting and racing motorcycles, watching cartoons, snow-boarding, reading and listening to rap music.