Melyssa Ford
Encyclopedia
Melyssa Savannah Ford is a Canadian
model and actress. She attended York University
and studied in the field of forensic psychology
. Ford's father is Afro-Barbadian
and her mother is Russian
and Norwegian
. She is often referred to as Jessica Rabbit, after the character from the animated
film Who Framed Roger Rabbit
whose voluptuous figure Ford's is said to resemble.
discovered Ford while she was working as a bartender
at a Toronto nightclub
and helped launch her music video career. She has appeared in music video
s, men's magazines, television program
s and film
s. Ford was an on-air personality for Sirius Satellite Radio
's Hot Jamz
channel. She sells a line of calendars and DVD.
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."
1998
1999
2000
2001
2003
2004
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
model and actress. She attended York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
and studied in the field of forensic psychology
Forensic psychology
Forensic psychology is the intersection between psychology and the criminal justice system. It involves understanding criminal law in the relevant jurisdictions in order to be able to interact appropriately with judges, attorneys and other legal professionals...
. Ford's father is Afro-Barbadian
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and her mother is Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
and Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. She is often referred to as Jessica Rabbit, after the character from the animated
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
film Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
whose voluptuous figure Ford's is said to resemble.
Entertainment career
In the late 1990s, music video director Little XLittle X
Julien Christian Lutz , better known as Little X, X or Director X, is a Canadian music video director. He also has his own clothing line X Fit...
discovered Ford while she was working as a bartender
Bartender
A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner...
at a Toronto nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
and helped launch her music video career. She has appeared in music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s, men's magazines, television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
s and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s. Ford was an on-air personality for Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
's Hot Jamz
Hot Jamz
Hot Jamz was a XL Hip-Hop and R&B station on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 50 and Dish Network channel 6050. On February 2008, Sirius Canada dropped the channel, but it was reintroduced in June 2008....
channel. She sells a line of calendars and DVD.
In a 2008 CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
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."
Selected music videos
1997- "The Thing to DoThe Thing to Do"The Thing to Do" is an R&B song by Glenn Lewis. Its his debut single, released in 1997, and featured on the GROOVEssentials Volume One compilation album. The song was nominated for Best R&B/Soul Recording at the 1998 Juno Awards....
" (Glenn LewisGlenn LewisGlenn Lewis is a Canadian R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter. Originally planning to pursue a career in animation as a teenager, Lewis instead decided to focus on music. His father was a member of the musical group Crack of Dawn...
)
1998
- "Northern TouchNorthern Touch"Northern Touch" is a Canadian hip hop single, which was released in 1998 by Rascalz in collaboration with Checkmate, Kardinal Offishall, Thrust and Choclair...
" (RascalzRascalzThe Rascalz are a Canadian hip-hop group from Vancouver, British Columbia, who played a crucial role in the artistic and commercial development of Canadian hip hop. The group consists of MCs Red1 and Misfit, and DJ Kemo. Breakdancers, Zebroc and Dedos were also part of the group.Formed in 1991, the...
featuring CheckmateCheckmate (rapper)Checkmate is a Canadian hip hop artist from Vancouver. He is most known for guesting on the Rascalz' 1998 single "Northern Touch", which also which featured Kardinal Offishall, Choclair, and Thrust. He has also done work with Rascalz outside "Northern Touch". His 2002 album R.A.W...
, Kardinal OffishallKardinal OffishallJason D. Harrow , better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall , is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.-Life and career:Harrow was born in...
, ThrustThrust (rapper)Chris France , better known by his stage name Thrust, is a Canadian rapper from Toronto, Ontario. He is most known for his appearance on the Rascalz' 1998 single "Northern Touch" which also features Kardinal Offishall, Choclair, and Checkmate...
and ChoclairChoclairKareem Blake, better known by his stage name Choclair, is a Canadian rapper. He helped develop Canadian hip hop in the 1990s, as a member of the Circle.-Career:...
) - "Bout Your LoveBout Your Love"Bout Your Love" is an R&B song by Glenn Lewis, released in 1998. Produced by 2 Rude, the single and remix appear on 2 Rude's 1999 album, Rudimental 2k. The song was nominated for Best R&B/Soul Recording at the 1999 Juno Awards.-Music video:...
" (Glenn LewisGlenn LewisGlenn Lewis is a Canadian R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter. Originally planning to pursue a career in animation as a teenager, Lewis instead decided to focus on music. His father was a member of the musical group Crack of Dawn...
) - "Anywhere" (112112 (band)112 is an American R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia. Formerly artists on Diddy's Bad Boy Records, the group signed to the Def Soul roster in 2002. They had great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with hits such as "Only You", "Anywhere" and "Peaches & Cream"...
featuring Lil' Zane)
1999
- "Let's RideLet's Ride (Choclair song)"Let's Ride" is the first single from Choclair's debut album Ice Cold. Produced by Kardinal Offishall, the song features ad-libs by Saukrates. The song is well known for its catchy piano hook.-Music video:...
" (ChoclairChoclairKareem Blake, better known by his stage name Choclair, is a Canadian rapper. He helped develop Canadian hip hop in the 1990s, as a member of the Circle.-Career:...
)
2000
- "Big Pimpin'Big Pimpin'"Big Pimpin" is the last single from rapper Jay-Z's fourth album Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter. It features rapping by Southern hip hop group UGK as well as production by Timbaland....
" (Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
featuring UGKUGKUGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas formed in 1987 by the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler . He then joined with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who became his longtime partner...
) - "Cherchez LaGhostCherchez LaGhost"Cherchez LaGhost" is a song from Supreme Clientele, the second album by rapper Ghostface Killah, and features fellow Wu-Tang Clan member U-God and singer Goldie.It was released as the album's second single, with an accompanying music video....
" (Ghostface KillahGhostface KillahDennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
featuring U-GodU-GodLamont Hawkins , better known as U-God , is an American rapper and member of the hip hop collective, Wu-Tang Clan. He has been with the group since its inception, and is known for having a deep, rhythmic flow that can alternate between being gruff or smooth...
) - "Shake Ya AssShake Ya Ass"Shake Ya Ass", also known by its clean title, "Shake It Fast", is the second single released from Mystikal's fourth album, Let's Get Ready. It also featured Pharrell. It was released on July 18, 2000 and was produced by The Neptunes...
" (MystikalMystikalMichael Lawrence Tyler , better known by his stage name Mystikal, is an American rapper, and actor from New Orleans.-1993-1994: Early career:...
) - "Thong Song RemixThong Song"Thong Song" is a 2000 song recorded by Sisqó of Dru Hill for the Def Soul imprint of Def Jam. The song was issued as the second single from Sisqó's Unleash the Dragon LP in February 2000, and was its second biggest hit....
" (SisqóSisqóMark Durrell Andrews , known by his stage name Sisqó, is an American R&B singer and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of R&B group Dru Hill, and also for "Thong Song", a song from his first solo LP, Unleash the Dragon, that became an international hit. - Biography :Sisqó was born Mark...
)
2001
- "Knock Yourself Out" (JadakissJadakissJason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle...
)
2003
- "You Don't Know My NameYou Don't Know My Name"You Don't Know My Name" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys from her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys. Written by Keys, Kanye West, and Harold Lilly and produced by Keys and West, the track was released as the album's lead single in November 2003, and contains a sample...
" (Alicia KeysAlicia KeysAlicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
)
2004
- "Happy People" (R. KellyR. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
) - "Yeah!Yeah! (Usher song)"Yeah!" is a song by American singer Usher, released on 3 February 2004 as the lead single from his hit fourth studio album Confessions. The song was written by Lil Jon, Sean Garrett, Patrick J. Que Smith, Ludacris, Robert McDowell, and LRoc. It was produced by Lil Jon, who combined crunk and R&B...
" (UsherUsher (entertainer)Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
featuring Lil JonLil JonJonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
and LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
)
Selected magazine appearances
- KingKing (magazine)King is a monthly men's magazine geared toward African American and urban audiences. It features articles about hip-Hop and R&B, as well as articles covering sports and fashion. The magazine is published by Harris Publications, and was a spinoff from XXL. It ceased publication on March 31, 2009,...
- MaximMaxim (magazine)Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
- SmoothSmooth (magazine)Smooth is a bimonthly magazine, published by Sandra Vasceannie geared toward young urban men that includes a mix of news, entertainment, urban fashion, music, movies, books, sports reporting, as well as feature articles on the hottest stars in black entertainment. Smooth covers feature photos of...
[Ford was the author of an advice column for Smooth] - XXLXXL (magazine)XXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...
and XXL Eye Candy
Selected television appearances
- 2000: Soul Food (Showtime)
- 2003: PlaymakersPlaymakersPlaymakers is an American television series that aired on ESPN from August 26, 2003 to November 11, 2003. It depicted the lives of the Cougars, a fictional professional football team in an unidentified city. The show starred Omar Gooding, Marcello Thedford, Christopher Wiehl, Jason Matthew Smith,...
(ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
) - 2004: How I'm Livin'How I'm Livin'How I'm Livin' was a reality television show on BET. Each week, the show profiled a couple of big names in the entertainment industry and followed them on their activities for a day. They have included those on Steve Harvey, Lisa Raye, Khia, Tweet, Rickey Smiley, A.J...
(BETBetBet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
) [Ford was a host of How I'm Livin] - 2004–2006: BET StyleBET StyleBET Style is an entertainment show, much like syndicated Entertainment Tonight, that focuses on African Americans in the entertainment industry. It aired from 2004 to 2006 on Black Entertainment Television at 7:30e-p/6:30c on Thursdays. Its hosts were usually Big Tigger and Melyssa Ford. Its last...
(BETBetBet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
) [Ford was a host of BET Style] - 2007: EntourageEntourage (TV series)Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
(HBO) - 2007: The GameThe Game (US TV series)The Game is an American comedy-drama television series created by Mara Brock Akil and produced by Kelsey Grammer. Premiering on October 1, 2006, the series debuted as the only new comedy series chosen for The CW's primetime schedule...
(The CWThe CW Television NetworkThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
) - 2008: Byte Me: 20 Hottest Women of the Web (E!E!E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
) - 2008: The Black Poker Stars Invitational (BETBetBet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
)
Selected filmography
- 2000: Turn It UpTurn It Up (film)Turn It Up is a 2000 drama–musical film. It was directed by Robert Adetuyi and stars Ja Rule, Pras, Faith Evans and Jason Statham. The film grossed $1,247,949 during its brief theatrical run.-Cast:*Pras as Diamond*Ja Rule as David "Gage" Williams...
- 2004: Psyche
- 2007: God's Prayer
- 2008: Three Can Play That GameThree Can Play That GameThree Can Play That Game is a 2007 romantic comedy film, directed by Samad Davis. The film stars Jason George, Jazsmin Lewis, and Vivica A. Fox, and is a sequel to the 2001 film Two Can Play That Game.-Plot:...
- 2008: Days of WrathDays of WrathDays of Wrath is a 2008 drama film starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Laurence Fishburne and Wilmer Valderrama. The film is directed by Celia Fox, and written by Mitchell Kapner and Michael Markee.-Plot:...
- 2008: Love For Sale
- 2009: Good HairGood HairGood Hair is a 2009 American comedy documentary film produced by Chris Rock Productions and HBO Films, starring and narrated by comedian Chris Rock. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2009, Good Hair was released to select theaters in the United States by Roadside Attractions...
- 2011: Video GirlVideo GirlVideo Girl may refer to:*"Video Girl", a song by the Jonas Brothers on their album A Little Bit Longer*Video Girl , a 2009 album by VenetianPrincess*Video Girl Ai, a manga series by Masakazu Katsura...
External links
- Melyssa Ford Online Official website
- Black in America: Video Vixens Too Revealing?, CNN, July 24, 2008 (Video interview)