Ray began her career as a professional dancer with various artists such as Will Smith, the Backstreet Boys, Peter Andre, Brandy Norwood and late singer Aaliyah.
[1] She then started acting, guest starring in shows like The Wayans Bros., Living Single, NYPD Blue and Family Matters She also appeared on music oriented shows such as Soul Train, Motown Live and the short-lived late night talk show based on Vibe.
She appeared as a motion capture character, providing the voice and body movements of "Cyber Lucy", the animated hostess for the children's version of Wheel of Fortune, Wheel of Fortune 2000.
In 2004, Ray became a New York correspondent for the entertainment magazine show Extra.
In 2017, Tanika Ray rejoined Extra,[2] and left for good two years later.