Aisha Tyler got her acting start at the J. Eugene McAteer School of the Arts in San Francisco, before going on to earn a combined degree in Government and Environmental Policy at Dartmouth College, where she continued performing sketch and improv, became fluent in French, Russian and Swahili, traveled to Africa and taught snowboarding. After graduation, Aisha devoted herself to comedy full time, performing all over the country before finally settling in Los Angeles. She quickly became a favorite on Bill Maher’s political roundtable Politically Incorrect before being chosen to take over as the first female host of E!’s Emmy-winning pop culture crucible Talk Soup.

Aisha then returned to her acting roots, enjoying a groundbreaking two-season arc on NBC’s powerhouse hit “Friends,” and appearing in the comedic films “Showtime” and “The Santa Clause 2 & 3.” But it was with her indelible performance as a physically and psychologically scarred Somali woman on FX’s Golden Globe-winning plastic surgery drama “Nip/Tuck,” that Aisha made the transition to dramatic fare. She went on to extended arcs on several hit television dramas – appearing on both “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and “24” in the same season before moving on to CBS’ “The Ghost Whisperer.” Most recently, she lent her voice to Aaron McGruder’s hit animated series “The Boondocks,” and showed off her improv chops in the comedy-doc cult sensation “Reno 911.” Aisha has three feature films slated to premiere this year – as a staff-wielding assassin in the comedy “Balls of Fury,” as a court-appointed therapist to battered women in the thriller “.45, and as a police detective caught between compassion and the law in the thriller “Death Sentence.”

In addition to her acting work, Aisha has made multiple appearances on The Today Show, The Tonight Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Live with Regis and Kelly, Dennis Miller, The Early Show, The View, and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn.

The critical acclaim has been effusive. Esquire called Aisha “sweetly wicked,” designating her one of its “Women We Love.” Maxim made her one of its vaunted “Hot 100” three years in a row. Vibe crowned her “the next Queen of Comedy.” Daily Variety calls her a “multi-genre threat.” And Tongue gushes, “[she’s] that impossible combination of hot-as-the-day-is-long and so cool… the most unlikely crossover since Charlie Pride.”

As an author, Aisha recently saw her first book, Swerve: Reckless Observations of a Postmodern Girl, published by Dutton Books. She has also contributed articles to Glamour, Oprah, Jane and Movieline magazines, and to the recently published This Day in the Life of American Women. She dedicates a large portion of her time to philanthropy, serving in an advisory position to the environmental organization The Trust for Public Land, as a celebrity board member for the American Red Cross, and as a member of the Board of The Kanye West Foundation, which focuses on providing music education and other opportunities to underserved American children.

Aisha makes her home in Los Angeles. She is currently preparing to direct her first movie — from an original screenplay that she wrote — to be executive produced by international mega-action icon John Woo.