Aisha Tyler

Intro

Aisha Tyler is an American actress, comedian, host and director whose work connects stand-up, animation and television drama. Born September 18, 1970, in San Francisco, she is known for voicing Lana Kane in Archer and playing Dr. Tara Lewis in Criminal Minds. Dartmouth's alumni biography records her study of government and environmental policy, a background quite different from the performance career she subsequently built.

Career snapshot

Talk Soup brought Tyler early prominence as a television host. She later appeared in an extended Friends storyline, co-starred with Jennifer Love Hewitt in Ghost Whisperer and worked on CSI and 24. Hosting remained part of her career through The Talk and Whose Line Is It Anyway? These credits involve different kinds of preparation: delivering a scripted role, listening during a conversation and responding when comedy develops in the moment.

The entry point

Archer began in 2009, with Tyler voicing Lana Kane. The animated spy comedy provides an entry point into her ensemble work. In a 2016 TIME interview, she discussed the characters as exaggerated workplace personalities and described how relationships changed over time. For a rewatch, listen to how Lana's professional confidence interacts with frustration at her colleagues. The joke often depends on the relationship between speakers as much as on the line itself.

Screen identity and style

Tyler's live-action characters include Andrea Marino in Ghost Whisperer and Tara Lewis in Criminal Minds, which she joined in 2015. Compare a scene from either drama with an Archer exchange: the performer has different amounts of visual information, physical movement and silence to work with. Hosting offers another useful comparison, because Tyler appears as herself while helping someone else's contribution reach an audience.

Collaborations and patterns

Tyler's 2017 feature-directing debut was Axis. Dartmouth records its Outstanding Achievement in Feature Filmmaking recognition at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Her directing credits also include Criminal Minds. In her 2016 interview, she described making short films to develop confidence before attempting a feature. That progression provides a concrete connection between learning through smaller projects and taking responsibility for a complete production.

Era reflection

Her book Self Inflicted Wounds grew out of a recurring element of the Girl on Guy podcast. CBS records its appearance on the New York Times bestseller list in July 2013. Dartmouth also identifies voice work in Halo: Reach, Gears of War 3 and Watch Dogs. These credits extend her work beyond conventional television: an interview, a written story and a game each reach an audience through a different form of participation.

Legacy and rediscovery

Tyler's career is best approached through several forms rather than a single character. A viewer can pair Lana's animated exchanges with Tara Lewis's investigative scenes, then consider her work directing an episode or feature. The three career images here identify productions and the year of her participation, with the later Criminal Minds: Evolution artwork labeled clearly. Her credited convention portrait is separate from those fictional roles and keeps the person behind the performances visible.

A career in pictures

Selected career milestones. Years identify the production or labeled milestone; recurring actors may join a series later. Artwork represents the production and may show other cast members. Select an image for a larger view.

Rewatch notes

• Tyler voices Lana Kane in Archer.
• She is a Dartmouth graduate.
• Axis was her feature-directing debut in 2017.

Career highlights

Ghost Whisperer (2005) as Andrea Marino
First-season regular role.

Archer (2009) as Lana Kane (voice)
Animated ensemble spy comedy.

Criminal Minds (2015) as Dr. Tara Lewis
Tyler joined in 2015. Artwork represents the later Evolution continuation.