Tyra Banks did not have an alcoholic drink until she turned 50

She told People: "I felt it was a rite of passage to be my true self. I like to challenge misconceptions about aging by saying, 'Child, I'm 50! My mom and my best friend surprised me there, and it was so magical We took a seaplane, had a meal in the middle of nowhere. I even had an alcoholic drink for the first time! It wasn't worth it. I was like, 'This is nasty!"

The 'Life-Size' star - who has eight-year-old son York with former partner Erik Asla - was recently reminded of her age when she passed through a security check at a casino without having to show ID.

She said: "Recently I went to a casino to meet friends, and at this casino you have to show ID to get through security. There was an older gentleman next to me, I'm talking great-grandpa old, like 99. And the security guard goes, 'Oh, you two are fine. Just go on in front of everybody. Go in.' And I was like, 'Oh, that's 50'. I said, 'You're not going to card me?' He's like, 'No, girl, you good!'"

But Tyra is actually feeling "good" with her age and remembered that when she was a child, she thought being 50 meant being associated with all the stereotypes of being a grandmother.

She said: "I'm a momma and an entrepreneur. I do Zoom meetings with no makeup and throw my wig on... 50 feels good. When I was younger, in elementary school, I thought 50 was like great granny. I thought I would have little glasses and just have a quilt on my lap and watch soap operas all day. I was wrong. What my life is like now is totally different than what I thought. I'm poppin'. I am not insecure about myself. It feels real good."