Career in high gear, Tyler takes on Reelz’s new spy drama

Stuart Townsend, left, and Aisha Tyler star in the spy thriller drama TV series “XIII.” The series will premiere on ReelzChannel on Friday, June 29. (Courtesy of Xavier Lahache Canal)

These days, the comedian – who also is a talk show host, author and actress – finds herself running from project to project, even not having time for a short nap.

“In the world of acting, it’s feast or famine,” she explains during a recent phone interview. “I feel really fortunate right now that I’m right in the thick of things with all of the projects.”

Tyler is a co-host on the CBS daytime talk show, “The Talk.” In addition, she voices the sexy spy Lana Kane on FX’s hit animated show “Archer” and started a podcast, “Girl on Guy,” which has had more than 3 million downloads on iTunes. She’s even got a movie – “The Babymakers” – out in August.

But it’s her role as Agent Jones on the new series – “XIII” – that Tyler is hoping fans will love.

“I’ve always been into action movies,” Tyler explains. “Agent Jones gives me a chance to do some stunts and smack some guys around. I get to jump out of cars and blow stuff up, and that’s all exciting for me.”

“XIII” is an hourlong drama spy series based on Jean Van Hamme’s adrenaline-fueled graphic novels. The Albuquerque-based TV station, ReelzChannel picked up the show as its second original scripted drama and will premiere the first episode at 7 p.m. Friday, June 29.

“If you combined the ‘Bourne Identity’ movies with the ‘24′ TV series, you have ‘XIII,’ ” says Matthew Singerman, ReelzChannel senior vice president of programming. “It’s an exciting, riveting show with action and drama that will keep our viewers on the edge of their seats.”

The series follows XIII, played by Stuart Townsend, a skilled and lethal secret agent who escapes from an Eastern European rendition camp with a surgically altered face and an identity handed to him by a mysterious stranger.

Recruited to a secret organization committed to bringing down the United States government, XIII has no memory of his past, how he was trained or why.

Tyler plays Jones, an Ivy League graduate and a government agent. She also is an ally of XIII, which causes some friction with her boss, the director of National Intelligence.

Jones helps XIII in his quest partially out of guilt – she thinks he’s been unfairly treated by the government who trained him – and partially because she has direct orders from the U.S. president to learn everything that XIII knows.

“Jones’ relationship with XIII is complicated; once they were partners and lovers, but that was before XIII lost his memory and all the emotional feelings that went along with it,” Tyler says. “They become very close quickly. But I don’t know if it’s devastating or not to her that he doesn’t remember their relationships. She keeps some of emotions guarded and you don’t know what’s going on in her mind.”

Tyler snagged the role of Agent Jones after only one audition. She says the show’s writers added in that Jones was an Ivy League graduate to mimic part of her life. (Tyler got a degree in environmental policy from Dartmouth College.)

“She’s tough, she’s smart and motivated and she makes sacrifices,” Tyler says. “It’s just a really nice combination. There are moments when Jones is vulnerable and is caught in the middle, but she’s a patriot and she is going to do what is right for the country. At the end of the day, she cares about keeping the country safe even if it means, she doesn’t have the love life.”

EnCom 2012: The event will feature the winners of the Digital Filmmaking Institute’s second annual Environmental Comedy contest, Lisa Jay’s “Zombie Apocalypse” and Michael Ostroski’s “The Fifth Protocol.” Along with last year’s EnCom winner, “Trashalopes,” DFI will screen two previous Duke City Shootout award-winning comedies, “Plugged” and “Easy Pickins.”

The second half of this evening of short movies will be devoted to work by Central New Mexico Community College film technician training students, “Charybdis Point,” written and directed by John Broadhead, and “Haley We Miss You,” a music video tribute made by CNM in conjunction with Media Arts Collaborative Charter School. The free event takes place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 26, at the KiMo Theater, 423 W. Central.

SEND ME YOUR TIPS: If you know of a movie filming in the state, or are curious about one, email film@ABQjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter at @agomezART.

On TV
Albuquerque-based TV station ReelzChannel will premiere the spy drama series “XIII” at 7 p.m. Friday, June 29, on Channel 299 on Dish, Channel 238 on DirecTV and Channel 161 on Comcast.