Melyssa Ford

Born Melyssa Savannah Ford, was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on November 7, 1976. After completing her studies in forensic psychology at Toronto’s York University, she left Toronto and traveled to New York City with only twenty-five dollars and two packed suitcases, telling herself that she would give New York City three months before returning to her home in Canada. Ford had already appeared on numerous music videos and had done a great deal of modeling, but decided to move on to seek bigger fame and a path into the entertainment industry. Her one way ticket not only led her to the Big Apple, but it also led her to a career as a highly sought after model, an accomplished actress in a wide variety of formats, a satellite radio host, a columnist, a public speaker, a philanthropist, and a role model for young women all across the globe.

In Melyssa Ford’s work as a model, she has appeared in such magazines as Playboy, FHM, Maxim, Smooth, XXL, and XXL Eye Candy, among others, and along with her modeling appearances provides content for Smooth in her Jessica Rabbit sex and relationships advice column, which she has written for since 2002 and is the magazine’s most popular column. Along with her many pictorial features in these magazines, she has also appeared on the cover of Smooth, as well as the cover of King, Cycle Dreams Magazine, and six times on the cover of Black Men magazine.

Ford has also made a name for herself by appearing in movies, television, music videos, and reality programs. Melyssa Ford’s television career has included appearances on HBO’s Emmy Award winning “Entourage,” CW’s “The Game,” Showtime’s Emmy Award Nominated “Soul Food,” ESPN’s “Playmakers,” UPN’s “Platinum,” and most recently BET’s “The Black Poker Stars Invitational” with Eddie Griffin, Orlando Jones, and Mekhi Phifer. Ford was also a host of “BET Style” on Black Entertainment Television for two years, a program that was created specifically with Ford in mind, and was a host on that station’s “How I’m Livin’” in 2004. Melyssa Ford also hosted an Internet show called “Lifestyles of the Phat and the Phabulous.” “Lifestyles” was an Internet show produced by Herve Pierre, Vice President of Bad Boy Entertainment.

Ford was further recently featured on “Byte Me: 20 Hottest Women of the Web,” which appeared on E! Entertainment Television. Melyssa Ford was named number ten by E!, coming out on top of Cindy Margolis, Jenn Sterger, the girls of the Lingerie Bowl, Lara Croft, Jennifer Nicole Lee, Layla Kayleigh, the Olly Girls, Candice Michelle, Somaya Reece, and the Trashy Lingerie Girls. Others who appeared on the list included the likes of Dita Von Teese, the Obama Girl, and Olivia Munn.

Melyssa Ford has also been asked to speak on discussion panels with organizations such as the Hip Hop Summit Action Network, a non-profit organization made up of musicians, entertainment industry leaders, education advocates, civil rights proponents, and youth leaders, that was created to allow hip hop music to aid in educatio advocacy and other societal concerns facing young people around the world. Ford has also spoken with the Congressional Black Caucus, a nonprofit public policy, research, and educational institute whose goal is to improve the socioeconomic circumstances of African Americans as well as other communities. She has further spoken with the University of Chicago’s Center for Race Culture and Politics, or the CSRPC, which is an interdisciplinary program that promotes scholarship and debate around the topics of race and ethnicity. Lastly, Ford took part in Essence Magazine’s Take Back the Music Campaign. Ford has also appeared on ABC Nightly News; CNN, where she was interviewed by Soledad O’Brien for the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and MSNBC, on that station’s African American Women’s Series.

Ford’s movie career includes the film “Turn it Up” with Ja Rule, Jason Statham, “Psyche,” “God’s Prayer,” and “Three Can Play That Game” with Vivica A. Fox. In 2008, Ford appeared in “Love for Sale” with Mya and Jackie Long of “ATL,” Jason Weaver, and Jackie Long, and “Days of Wrath” with Taye Diggs, Laurence Fishburne, Jesse Garcia, Doug Hutchison, Wilmer Valderrama, and Amber Valetta. In “Days of Wrath,” Ford plays a role for which she was specifically approached to play the significant other of the film’s main character, which is portrayed by Valderrama. In 2009, Ford was in the blockbuster film “My Bloody Valentine 3-D,” a remake of the 1981 film “My Bloody Valentine,” which also starred Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, and Kerr Smith.