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 the Mecca of entertainment, Los Angeles, where she landed her first big break as the successor of the Emmy-award winning series “Talk Soup” (E! Entertainment Television, 2001). 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 viewer ship, 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 Fifth Wheel” (CITY, 2001) 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.” Exuding undeniable talent and flare for acting, 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 Dinero. In 2003, Tyler had crossed yet another barrier when she was cast alongside a famous group of “Friends” (NBC, 2003) 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 credible star on the rise.

Tyler continued doing comedy bits for shows like “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO, 2000) and NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” 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 FX series “Nip/Tuck” (2003), 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, 2004) and “24” (FOX, 2004) featuring Kiefer Sutherland. Tyler also had a role in the 2004 film “Meet Market,” which looks at LA singles trying to find love in their local grocery store.

Aside from acting and stand-up comedy, Tyler has also proven her talents as an author with, Swerve: Reckless Observations of a Postmodern Girl (Dutton Publishing, 2004), a collection of comic essays that delve into her views on life. The brainy starlet has also contributed her witty style to Glamour and Jane Magazines and has found time to do sultry pictorials for Maxim Magazine (2001) and show-off her smarts on “The Weakest Link” (2001). Meanwhile, Tyler landed a regular supporting role on “Ghost Whisperer” (CBS, 2005-), 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.