Tyler was born in Stockton, California as Barry Kaufman and was married to VOY guest actress Jessica Collins from 1996 till 2002. In 1993 he was nominated for a Soap Opera Digest Award as hottest male star for his performance in the soap Loving, in which he acted from 1989 till 1995. Other Star Trek stars who played alongside Tyler in this series are James Horan, Jessica Collins, Richard Cox, Lisa LoCicero, Nicole Orth-Pallavicini, Callan White, and Kirsten Dunst. He also played a regular role in the soap As the World Turns (1988) and played minor roles in the films A Soldier's Story (1984) and Best of the Best: Without Warning (1998, with Jessica Collins).