Aisha N. Tyler (born 18 September 1970) is an American actress and stand-up comedian.
Early life
Tyler was born in San Francisco, California; she pursued an early interest in comedy during high school, when she would skip her regular courses to attend local comedy improv classes. She attended Dartmouth College where she earned a degree in government with a minor in environmental policy. She also sang in the all-female a cappella group, The Dartmouth Rockapellas. After briefly working for a San Francisco advertising firm, she toured the country pursing a comedy career before finally moving to Los Angeles, California in 1996.
Career
Her career in television took off in 2001 with jobs as the host of Talk Soup and the reality-dating series The Fifth Wheel, although Talk Soup was cancelled the following year and Tyler left The Fifth Wheel in 2002 to pursue other interests. Tyler has devoted a significant amount of her time to independent projects, including a role in the play Moose Mating, for which she received an NAACP Image Award. She also wrote, directed, and starred in the independent short film The Whipper.
During its final two seasons, Tyler played the only black recurring character in the hit situation-comedy Friends. She had a recurring role on CSI and the first season of Ghost Whisperer. Tyler has also been on 24.
Tyler has moved into print media as a regular contributor to Glamour and Jane magazines; her first book, Swerve: A Guide to the Sweet Life for Postmodern Girls (ISBN 0525948066) was released in January 2004. She is often cited as one of the "rising stars to watch" in the entertainment industry. Tyler also plays on the World Poker Tour in the Hollywood Home games for the Childhelp USA charity.
Personal life
Since 1992, Tyler has been married to lawyer Jeff Tietjens.
