Biography
Effortlessly funny Aisha Tyler emerged within Hollywood as a bona fide comedian and actress all while earning the respect of critics and the attention of audiences everywhere. Wise beyond her years, Tyler initially looked to comedy as a means to relieve her boredom from her mundane high school studies while cutting classes to attend improv sessions at the J. Eugene McAteer School of the Arts in San Francisco. With a growing passion for comedy, Tyler was still ambitious about her studies as she went on to attend Dartmouth College where she graduated with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Environmental Science. Landing a prestigious job as an advertising exec after college seemed like a great fit for the fresh Ivy League grad, but Tyler had different plans for herself. Quickly realizing that stiff suits and presentations wasn't her cup of tea, Tyler took a big chance by leaving the lucrative world of advertising to travel around the country and pursue a full-time gig as a stand-up comedian. In 1996, Tyler finally made her way to Los Angeles, where she landed her first big break as host of the Emmy Award-winning series "Talk Soup" (E! Entertainment Television, 1991-2002). Not only was Tyler an immediate success with her sassy yet charming comedic presence, but she also made a huge breakthrough as the first African-American female to host the show. With soaring ratings and heightened viewership, it wasn't long until the buzz about the extraordinary Tyler got around to the rest of Hollywood. Tyler went on to host the popular syndicated dating show "The 5th Wheel" (CITY, 2001-04) and slowly transitioned into acting, where she won an NAACP Theater Image Award in 2001 for her role in the highly acclaimed production of "Moose Mating." Tyler landed small but credible roles in films such as "Santa Clause 2" (2002) starring Tim Allen, and "Showtime" (2002) opposite big-timers Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro. In 2003, Tyler had crossed yet another barrier when she was cast alongside a famous group of "Friends" (NBC, 1994-2004) as the first recurring African-American love interest of both Ross and Joey. Tyler's role as sexy paleontologist Charlie Wheeler helped catapult her career into the big leagues and establish herself as a star on the rise. Tyler continued doing comedy bits for shows like "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO, 2000- ) and "Last Comic Standing" (NBC 2003-2015), where she was called upon as a celebrity talent scout, but the versatile actress also ventured into more serious work with a guest-starring spot on the sizzling series "Nip/Tuck" (FX 2003-2010), where she movingly played a Somali model who was victim to genital mutilation. Tyler's dramatic talents next landed her recurring roles on the primetime shows "CSI: Miami" (CBS, 2002-2012) and "24" (FOX, 2001-2010) featuring Kiefer Sutherland. Tyler also had a role in the 2008 film "Meet Market," which looked at LA singles trying to find love in their local grocery store. Aside from acting and stand-up comedy, Tyler also proved her talents as an author with "Swerve: Reckless Observations of a Postmodern Girl" (Dutton Publishing, 2004), a collection of comic essays. Meanwhile, Tyler landed a regular supporting role on "Ghost Whisperer" (CBS, 2005-2010), playing the best friend of a paranormal investigator (Jennifer Love Hewitt) whose gift for communicating with the earthbound dead helps them to pass to the other side. Further big screen roles came in the family comedy sequel "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause" (2006) and the broad comedy "Balls of Fury" (2007). During this period, Tyler began lending her voice to animated series including "The Boondocks" (Adult Swim 2005-2014) and video games such as "Halo: Reach" (2010). This culminated in her co-starring role as sexy but easily annoyed super-spy Lana Kane in the secret agent spoof "Archer" (FX 2009- ), in which she starred opposite H. Jon Benjamin as overconfident lothario Sterling Archer and Jessica Walters as his officious, alcoholic mother, the head of the rogue agency ISIS. In 2011, Tyler joined the cast of "The Talk" (CBS 2010- ), a daily afternoon chat show, replacing original co-host Holly Robinson Peete. A return to scripted live-action television came with a key supporting role in the French-Canadian action thriller "XIII: The Series" (Canal+ 2011-12). She next appeared in a recurring role on the procedural series "Criminal Minds" (CBS 2005- ). In 2013, Tyler took over hosting duties in a revived version of improv series "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (CW 2013- ), while her role on "Criminal Minds" was expanded to becoming a member of the main cast. In 2017, she directed her first feature film, "Axis" (2017).
