Comedian Tyler’s TV career thriving

Aisha Tyler grew up with a dad who allowed her to be fearless, to make mistakes, to try new things and be creative.

All those traits may have gotten her into trouble on occasion, but her career success has been a greater compensation.

Her accomplishments are multifaceted: best-selling author, a big following for her cheeky podcast “Girl on Guy,” host of the CW’s revived “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” voice of sexy action hero Lana Kane on FX’s Atlanta-produced animated series “Archer,” and co-host on CBS’ “The Talk.”

And she squeezes in monthly stand-up gigs around the country, including the Punchline Comedy Club in Sandy Springs on Sept. 27 and 28.

“I’ve never stopped doing stand-up,” Tyler said. “It’s important to me. I love it. I have to go out every month to stay technically sharp.” She’s also preparing for a Comedy Central special in early 2014.

Some comics relinquish the grind of stand-up touring when other media opportunities arise. Eddie Murphy, for instance, stopped stand-up once his movie career skyrocketed. And part-time Atlantan Steve Harvey last year gave up stand-up work after his radio and TV obligations grew too heavy.

“It’s how I got into the business,” Tyler said. “It’s the purest of art forms, maybe on level with my podcast. It’s more than anything the most personal expression as an artist. It’s your voice, your ideas. No lighting, no actors, no cameras. It’s a way for me to test myself creatively.”

Earlier this month, when “The Talk” hosts each revealed secrets, Tyler told her colleagues and viewers she was infertile. At age 43, “in baby years, that’s old trying to get pregnant.”

“The hardest part is I really love my husband,” Jeff Tietjens, she added. “He’s such a good person and he would be such a great father, but we just decided it wasn’t worth it to go through that and so we decided to stop. It was better to not go through that torture.”

In the interview, Tyler said she’s been heartened by the reaction she’s gotten from her ardent fans: “I really wanted other couples going through this to hear this, that stopping is an option. I’ve heard of people who go through 16 fertility treatments, 14 miscarriages and don’t have a baby. People have bankrupted themselves and destroyed their bodies. It’s a terrible way to go about things. It’s not for me.”

She’s been married to her husband for 21 years, but for most of the time, she said she was “pursuing other things that made me happy. I had a full life and a full marriage when I thought I was ready. But it was too late. That’s OK because the choices I made previously to this time were all good, healthy, real choices. We’re disappointed, but we’re not destroyed. The fact is every step of my life has led me to this point. I have a fulfilling career, and the connection with my fans is very robust.”