Melyssa Ford "M4" | |
|---|---|
 Ford in March 2005 | |
| Born | November 7, 1976 |
| 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. Since 2023, she cohosted The Joe Budden Podcast alongside broadcaster and former rapper Joe Budden. She attended York University and studied in the field of forensic psychology.[2][1][3]
Entertainment career
In the late 1990s, music video director Little X discovered Ford, who is in her early 20s, 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 a DVD.[6]
In a 2008 CNN interview, Ford explained 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 Los Angeles-based 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] In November 2019, Ford launched a podcast on YouTube called I'm Here for the Food[10]. The podcast featured a host of guests and covered a range of topics, including colourism, human trafficking, and forgiveness. The podcast last aired in November 2020.
After several years in Los Angeles, Ford moved back to the New York Metropolitan area in 2023, becoming a co-host on The Joe Budden Podcast.
Personal life
Ford is of mixed-race. Her father has roots in Barbados and her mother is of Norwegian and Russian descent.[11]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Turn It Up | Deborah | |
| 2004 | Psyche | Kenya | Short |
| 2007 | God's Prayer | Dr. Jasmine Gray | |
| Three Can Play That Game | Candy | ||
| 2008 | Love for Sale | Katherine | |
| Days of Wrath | Lisa | ||
| 2011 | The Slap | Puma | Short |
| Video Girl | Lala | ||
| 2012 | Think like a Man | Sleepy Girl | |
| Redemption of a Dog | Sheila | ||
| 2013 | Playin' for Love | Bella | |
| 2018 | The Stuff | Denise Washington |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Soul Food | Hoochie Mama | 2 episodes |
| 2004-06 | BET Style | Herself/Host | Main Host |
| 2005 | VH1 News Presents | Herself | Episode: "Hip Hop Videos: Sexploitation on the Set" |
| 2007 | Entourage | Flight Attendant | Episode: "No Cannes Do" |
| 2008 | The Black Poker Stars Invitational | Herself | Main Guest |
| 2009 | Played by Fame | Herself | Episode: "Sexy, Sensual and Stalker" |
| 2014-15 | Blood, Sweat & Heels | Herself | Main Cast |
| 2018 | Vixen | Herself | Main Guest |
| 2019 | Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood | Herself | Episode: "Pretty Petty" & "Sound Off" |
| 2020-21 | Tough Love: Los Angeles | Dena Howard | Recurring Cast |
Documentary
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Good Hair |
| 2011 | Bowl of Dreams |
Music videos
| Year | Song | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| "This Luv" | Donell Jones | |
| 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 | "You Don't Know My Name" | Alicia Keys |
| 2004 | "Happy People" | R. Kelly |
| "Yeah!" | Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Def Jam Icon" | Platinum (voice) |
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Century, Douglas (May 2, 2004). "How to Succeed in Videos Without Really Dancing". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
- 1 2 "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.
- ↑ "Former Bravo Star Melyssa Ford Seriously Injured in Horrific Crash with 18-Wheeler Truck".
- ↑ "Melyssa Ford Returns to Discuss Grief & Say Goodbye to Hollywood Unlocked [UNCENSORED]". YouTube.
- ↑ "I'm Here For The Food - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ↑ "Melyssa Ford Biography". IMDb. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
External links
- Melyssa Ford at IMDb
- Melyssa Ford on Twitter