Melyssa Ford | |
|---|---|
) Ford in March 2005 | |
| Born | November 7, 1976 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Other names | Jessica Rabbit |
| Modeling information | |
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)[1] |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Eye color | Light brown |
Melyssa Savannah Ford (born November 7, 1976) is a Canadian media personality, actress, and former video vixen. She attended York University and studied in the field of forensic psychology.[2] Ford's father is Afro-Barbadian and her mother is Russian and Norwegian. She is often referred to as Jessica Rabbit, an animated character whose sensuous figure Ford's is said to resemble.[1][3]
Entertainment career
In the late 1990s, music video director Little X discovered Ford while she was working as a bartender at a Toronto nightclub and helped launch her modelling career.[4] She has appeared in music videos, men's magazines, television programs and films.[1] Ford was an on-air personality for Sirius Satellite Radio's Hot Jamz channel.[5] She sells a line of calendars and DVD.[6]
In a 2008 CNN interview, Ford said that when making music videos she often asked herself whether she was "perpetuating a negative stereotype" about black women. When she was asked whether music videos, overall, are "demeaning to women", Ford replied, "Yes, I definitely have to say that".[2]
From June 2014 to January 2015, Ford participated in the Bravo Network television series Blood, Sweat & Heels, documenting her social life against the background of her struggles of becoming a realtor in New York.[7]
In 2016, Ford became a co-host of Hollywood Unlocked, a hip-hop and pop culture radio show. In June 2018, Ford was seriously injured in a car crash involving an 18-wheeler truck. She suffered a skull fracture and concussion.[8] Ford returned to the show in April 2019 following her accident. On August 24, 2020, Ford announced she would no longer be co-hosting Hollywood Unlocked.[9]
Selected music videos
- 1997
- "The Thing to Do" (Glenn Lewis)
- 1998
- "Anywhere" (112 featuring Lil' Zane)
- "Northern Touch" (Rascalz featuring Checkmate, Kardinal Offishall, Thrust and Choclair)
- "Bout Your Love" (Glenn Lewis)
- 1999
- "Let's Ride" (Choclair)
- 2000
- "Big Pimpin'" (Jay-Z featuring UGK)
- "Thong Song Remix" (Sisqó)
- "Cherchez LaGhost" (Ghostface Killah featuring U-God)
- "Shake Ya Ass" (Mystikal)
- 2001
- "Knock Yourself Out" (Jadakiss)
- 2003
- 2004
Selected magazine appearances
- King
- Maxim
- Smooth [Ford was the author of an advice column for Smooth]
- XXL and XXL Eye Candy
- Playboy Babe of the Month April 2006
Selected television appearances
- 2000: Soul Food (Showtime)
- 2003: Playmakers (ESPN)
- 2004: How I'm Livin' (BET) [Ford was a host of How I'm Livin']
- 2004–2006: BET Style (BET) [Ford was a host of BET Style]
- 2007: Entourage (HBO)
- 2007: The Game (The CW)
- 2008: Byte Me: 20 Hottest Women of the Web (E!)
- 2008: The Black Poker Stars Invitational (BET)
- 2014: Blood, Sweat & Heels (Bravo)
- 2014: The Millionaire Matchmaker (Bravo)
Selected filmography
- 2000: Turn It Up
- 2003: Kung Faux
- 2004: Psyche
- 2007: God's Prayer
- 2007: Three Can Play That Game
- 2008: Days of Wrath
- 2008: Love for Sale
- 2009: Good Hair
- 2011: Video Girl
- 2012: Think like a Man
- 2014: Think Like a Man Too
Video game appearance
- 2007: Def Jam Icon
See also
- Hip hop models
References
- ^ a b c Century, Douglas (May 2, 2004). "How to Succeed in Videos Without Really Dancing". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
- ^ a b "Black in America: Video Vixens Too Revealing?". CNN. July 24, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ^ Ogunnaike, Lola (August 31, 2004). "New Magazines for Black Men Proudly Redefine the Pinup". The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ^ "Melyssa Ford". Vibe. September 2008. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
- ^ "Hot Jamz". Sirius Satellite Radio. Archived from the original on September 9, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2009.
Hot Jamz is about to get a lot hotter: Melyssa Ford has joined our squad!
- ^ Ford. "Calendar Girl". Naked. pp. 219–220.
- ^ Settembre, Jeanette (December 31, 2013). "'Blood, Sweat and Heels' Follows Six Black New York City Women on the Rise". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
- ^ https://people.com/tv/melyssa-ford-survived-crash-18-wheeler-truck/
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-rcudqAZL0
External links
- Melyssa Ford at IMDb
- Melyssa Ford on Twitter