Aisha Tyler Joins "Criminal Minds" Season 11 in Recurring Role
by James Hibberd
June 22, 2015


The Criminal Minds Behavioral Analysis Unit team has found a promising new member: Aisha Tyler is joining the upcoming 11th season in a recurring role, EW has learned exclusively.

Tyler has signed on with the hit procedural following the departure of one star (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and the forthcoming temporary absence of another (A.J. Cook). Both Hewitt and Cook are pregnant, and Hewitt has opted to leave the show after one season while Cook is going on maternity leave.



Tyler will play Dr. Tara Lewis, a psychologist with an eye on forensic psychology and its application toward the criminal justice system. In the new season, Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) interviews several candidates in an effort to replace Kate Callahan (Hewitt). Dr. Lewis proves to be the best applicant and ends up helping out the BAU team in an investigation.

Some more official background on Tyler’s character: “Her dream was to study psychopaths up close and personal – and her psychology background, combined with her experience in the FBI, brought her face-to-face with monsters. Her job was to stare them down and interview them, in order to determine if they were fit to stand trial. In the process, she made herself find the humanity inside these broken men (and, sometimes, women) in order to learn if there was a conscience behind their brutal crimes.”



Tyler currently co-hosts CBS' "The Talk", hosts The CW's "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" revival and voices Lana Kane on FX's "Archer".

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/22/criminal-minds-aisha-tyler

"Criminal Minds" First Look: Aisha Tyler Joins the BAU
by Natalie Abrams
8/20/15


The BAU will welcome a new addition when "Criminal Minds" returns this fall — and EW has the exclusive first look.

In the wake of Jennifer Love Hewitt’s departure, "Archer" actress and current "The Talk" co-host joins the drama as Dr. Tara Lewis, a forensic psychologist who introduces an entirely new element to the long-running show.

“The people in the BAU are analyzing these unknown subjects trying to catch them, but my character analyzes them after they’ve been caught to make sure they’re competent to stand trial,” Tyler teases.





EP Erica Messer says:

“Every time we introduce a new team member, we want to make sure that they’re worthy of being a part of this elite criminal unit. She brings a different skill set than anyone else we’ve had. Once we’ve done our job and the bad guy is put away, she’s seeing what makes them tick once they aren’t hiding and running anymore.

It’s really a cool sandwich to what our team does. It’s been a fun skill set to bring to the team, and one that we never thought we needed, but now that we have it, we love it.”





In taking on the role, however, Tyler “wanted her to look really different than how I look on The Talk,” she says, hence the new ‘do for the show.

“It’s great because I get to do field work, I get to run around, wear a vest, wear a gun. She’s someone who has gathered a lot of evidence about the physiological makeup of the sociopath and she’s now bringing that knowledge into the field to help catch bad guys.”



"Criminal Minds" returns Wednesday. Sept. 30 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/20/criminal-minds-aisha-tyler-season-11-photo

Aisha Tyler Promoted To "Criminal Minds" Series Regular for Season 12
by Matt Webb Mitovich
August 10, 2016


The doctor is in, more than ever.

"Criminal Minds" has promoted Aisha Tyler to series regular, as Dr. Tara Lewis, CBS announced on Wednesday.

http://tvline.com/2016/08/10/criminal-minds-aisha-tyler-series-regular-season-12/