Aisha Tyler’s talent and versatility have sparked her rapid ascent in Hollywood, and have earned her critical raves and industry respect. Her hot-streak stint at the head of E! Entertainment’s Talk Soup landed her firmly in the Hollywood spotlight. Her razor wit revitalized the Emmy-winning show, which she was the first woman and African-American to captain. After leaving Talk Soup, Aisha moved quickly into television and film roles, enjoying another first – the first African-American to play an extended character arc on NBC’s Friends. She co-starred with Jennifer Love Hewitt in the CBS hit Ghost Whisperer. She also had recurring roles on two of television’s top dramas--CSI for CBS and 24 for Fox. This after her movingly dramatic guest role in FX’s Golden Globe nominated Nip/Tuck, where she played a Somali model who was the victim of abuse. Aisha has made numerous television appearances on shows, including, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Reno 911, The Boondocks and many more.
Aisha is enjoying a successful film career. She has a role in Adam Sandler’s hit, Bedtime Stories, and appeared in two recent films: the crime drama “Death Sentence,“ opposite Kevin Bacon and the Universal comedy “Balls of Fury,” with Christopher Walken. She completed filming “Black Water Transit,” a film set in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, directed by iconic Brit Tony Kaye and starring Lawrence Fishburn, Karl Urban and Brittany Snow. Aisha also had roles in “.45,” opposite Milla Jovovich, and “Santa Clause III” with Tim Allen. She had a starring role in the Lifetime Television film drama “For One Night,” a moving project about a real-life Atlanta high school that still has a segregated prom for black and white students.
Having begun her career as a stand-up comedian, Aisha uses her trademark wit in multiple appearances on The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, The Today Show, Politically Incorrect, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Late Late Show and more. February 2009 brings Aisha’s own, hotly-anticipated one hour special for Comedy Central--Aisha Tyler is Lit: Live from the Fillmore. Recorded in her hometown of San Francisco, the special is drawing rave early reviews. Her comedic voice is raw, edgy, honest and wonderfully refreshing – yet a look at the audiences at her live performances reveals her broad appeal: women, men, mainstream, urban, young and old alike. Her aggressive performance style recalls Chris Rock or Richard Pryor, with the physicality of a young Eddie Murphy. Aisha continues to perform stand-up at top clubs around the country and will embark on a Spring 2009 tour to support the dvd release of her Comedy Central show.
Aisha is currently developing several directorial projects, including her own film, Ventura, an edgy, buddy-cop action film in which she will also star. Aisha is a celebrated author, having released the successful “Swerve: Reckless Observations of a Post-Modern Girl” in 2004. The book is a collection of comic essays on pop-culture, in which Aisha comments deliciously on everything from casual sex, the mysteries of platonic friendship and hip-hop videos to marriage, the Ms. Foundation and Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War”. Critics and readers alike praise the book for its frank and hilarious look at what it’s like to be a girl. Aisha is also a frequent contributor to Glamour Magazine, for which she has written pieces about the media’s unrealistic portrayal of feminine beauty.
Aisha has many additional interests. An avid video game player, she was named to the exclusive seven-member Halo game counsel. She does a substantial amount of charitable work, as well, acting as a spokesperson for the American Red Cross, teaching Dove self-esteem workshops for teenage girls, consulting with the Trust for Public Land’s Parks for People project, and fund-raising for Doctors Without Borders, the Family Violence Prevention Fund and the International Rescue Committee.
Critical acclaim for Aisha has been effusive. Esquire called Aisha “sweetly wicked,” designating her one of its “Women We Love”. TV Guide called her one of television’s “In Crowd.” Maxim anointed her one of its “Hot 100” two years in a row. Vibe crowned her “the next Queen of Comedy.” And Tongue gushed, “[she’s] that impossible combination of hot-as-the-day-is-long and so cool… the most unlikely crossover since Charlie Pride.” < less
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