Sexy and smart, Aisha Tyler first came to the fore as the host of Talk Soup, E's celebrity gossip program. Shortly after that, she got roles on high-profile TV programs such as Friends, CSI and 24 and ultimately was cast in comedies like Balls of Fury and The Santa Clause 3. Now, in preparation for her first Comedy Central special, which she'll film later this summer in San Francisco, she's hitting the road on a stand-up tour that commences in Cleveland. She recently spoke via phone from Washington, DC where she was visiting her grandmother. — Jeff Niesel

What's your stand-up routine like?

People know me from Talk Soup, and it's just silly stuff like that. It's high and low culture and sometimes thinky, intellectual stuff. It's also super guy-friendly. You can go to a bar on a Friday night and have a conversation that's kind of like what I talk about. I talk a lot about sex and reality shows in a between-friends kind of way.

One interviewer said you were too normal to be a comedian and actress. Are you really a normal woman?

Ha ha ha. My husband might not think so. It's important for me to be normal and regular. I try to avoid the whole façade you get in Hollywood with the Hummers and diamond rings. A big part of comedy is that they're talking about things you can relate to. So I think it's important to have a normal life. I am a regular girl and I like it. I play X-Box and make a nice martini.

Did you really skip high school classes to attend comedy shows?

I did. I went to this Fame-like high school, only without the legwarmers. When I enrolled, I was a regular student, and I cut classes to hang out in this Improv class and then transferred into this great art school where people like Sam Rockwell and Margaret Cho went. It was a great time to be there.

Were you more into theater in college?

I wasn't a theater geek at all. I was never the musical theater dork. I hate musicals and I'm sure all my gay friends will be upset to hear that. I was a government major. I thought that I would become a lawyer. But then I started pursuing other things. I got out of college and went into comedy. My parents were so excited. They were like, "What?" I did comedy one time and knew that was what I wanted to do. So I guess I'm clearly crazy.

What did you like best about hosting Talk Soup?

God, that show was the best. It's one of the top three jobs I ever had. That show when I was there was like Wayne's World. We did whatever the hell we wanted to do. We worked really, really hard preparing. Then when we shot the show, we'd throw it out and do something different. We would just go nuts. That's what people liked about it. That was the best comedy school for me. We learned to just go for it and not worry about the consequences.

I love your Harry Potter imitation.

That is so funny. I really can't do British accents. That was the great thing about the show. You just try to crack each other up.

Did you write your own material for Talk Soup?

I was one of the writers. It was super-collaborative. It was all about getting to the sketches. It was awesome, like a fraternity house on crack.

What was it like being the only recurring African-American character on Friends?

It was awesome. It was the best thing ever. I was already a fan of the show. With Friends, CSI and 24, I got to go from being a fan to being on set. I was so excited. They thought I was just going to spit on them I was so excited. I was geeked out completely. They were all really nice and they knew how hard it was to be on the show. Both Matts were amazing. When we did the curtain call, [Matthew Perry] told me, "Get ready for your life to change." It changed my life completely. They had 25 million viewers a week just in the US. I got fan mail from Argentina and Japan. Plus, the catering was unbelievable.

But the show was so white bread.

That was always the criticism. It's like, what, in New York City, there's only really wealthy white people living in this rent-controlled apartment. They didn't write that character for me, though. I was reading against white actresses. They didn't want to do something fake or un-organic. In fact, I was only supposed to do three episodes and I ended up doing 10. I was cast because I was right for the show. They didn't write her to be African American. We just went for the story. It wasn't stereotyped. It's not like a black woman who's a paleontologist with a PhD is a stereotype.

Talk about working with Christopher Walken in Balls of Fury.

He's just a mad, dark genius. He's the coolest guy ever. Everyone asks, "Is he really weird?" He's such a great comedic actor. He says whatever is in his head at the moment. I was with him all day every day. He was the nicest, coolest guy. He would do his Marlon Brando impression which you knew he got from hanging with Marlon Brando. I love him. He's so funny and so cool. He's the best to be around. I've been working on my Christopher Walken impression. It still needs some work.

You're an avid home brewer. What do you currently have on tap?

I'm not brewing right now, but I do love beers. I started brewing right out of college once I figured I could make a keg of beer for 20 dollars. What's best is when all your friends brew and then you go to one person's house to sample them. It's amazing how everything gets progressively more delicious. By the end of the night, you think the purple pumpkin pickle beer is the best.

Tell me about the Obama video you did with will.i.am?

That was interesting. I just got a call from a mutual friend who said he was doing this video. Will had just cut this thing and put it together in a day and a half. I went to a studio to record my part, and I was there with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Scarlett Johansson had just done her thing. We thought some people might check it out. It was pretty successful. We were stoked about it. Regardless of your political orientation, being involved politically is really important. I know it's hard for people to feel motivated. But I take every opportunity I can to do charity work and volunteer. Pardon my French, but it's like fuck all the cars and money and bullshit. The best part of my job is to show up at an event and raise money just by being there. I'm so proud of that.

Because the race has been so divisive, I think it's great that you can say good things about both Hillary and Obama.

It's been a frustrating campaign. There have been a lot of good things. There have been record turnouts and record numbers of new voters registered. People don't know how lucky we are. I just think, "Look around, don't be such a knucklehead."

Aisha Tyler: May 22-25 at Hilarities, 2035 E. 4th St., 216.241.7425. Tickets: $20.