Who Is Aisha Tyler? Everything to Know About the Criminal Minds Star and Director
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
In June 2017, Tyler shocked daytime viewers by announcing her exit from The Talk. As reported by TVGuide at the time, her daily commitments on the panel conflicted with her growing production slate. She chose to give up a high-profile, steady network contract to pursue filmmaking full-time.
Her feature directing debut, Axis, landed on the festival circuit that same year. Shot in just seven days on a crowdfunded budget, the film takes place entirely inside a car as an actor struggles with addiction and career pressure over a speakerphone. The technical restrictions forced Tyler to rely on sharp audio design and precise shot sequencing. The project earned visual honors at the Newport Beach Film Festival and validated her technical chops.
Tyler quickly translated that success into episodic directing for major networks. Showrunners value her set efficiency because she understands the actor-director communication loop firsthand. Over the past several years, her directing credits expanded across major titles including Criminal Minds, Fear the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Roswell, New Mexico, and Evil. Her episodes often feature complex group dynamics, tight suspense pacing, and physical action sequences.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
