DX: If it wasn’t for this detour in your career, what would you have been doing?
MF: I know I wanted to work in law enforcement assisting them capturing high profile sex offenders and serial killers. I wanted to continue working in forensic psychology with investigative units on Behavioral Science Department as well as continue with profiling and character composition. Entertainment made me take a left and never stopped. When I moved to the states, I said that I was going to give it three months and see what happened. I moved to New York with $25 and two suitcases and lived with a friend in a roach-infested apartment in between the ghetto and the hood. It was not glamorous. Within a week I knew that I was never leaving…ever.

DX: Okay, so let’s talk about the good old rumor mil. The latest rumor is that you are doing a nude scene in Days of Wrath.
MF: No…it’s not a nude scene.

DX: Can you clarify that?
MF: Wilmer Valderama is the title character in the movie and it’s about Mexican gangs and drugs. I play Wilmer’s girlfriend. They specifically wanted a black girl to play Wilmer’s girlfriend. It’s funny, he’s totally not Fez from That '70s Show; he is a stone cold killer. They needed a character that wasn’t afraid of him. Everyone is afraid of him in this movie. They needed a girl that wasn’t going to play the docile girl. They came across me for this part specifically.

We definitely look like we are getting down. I’m not wearing a robe or anything. It looks like we are doing the do. It definitely gives the appearance that I’m nude but I’m not. The idea is given to you that I’m nude but you don’t see anything. There’s so many different ways to edit and use CGI that the effect is definitely given that I’m nude but I’m not.

DX: Okay, so you killed that rumor. Now what’s this you and Flo Rida business all about?
MF: Well, I hosted his record release party in Miami. I’ve interviewed him for my show. We developed a friendship just like I’ve developed a friendship with a lot of people that I’ve interviewed and come to meet. He’s a really fantastic person. I was very intrigued by his story. He wasn’t shot and stabbed, he doesn’t have a million baby mamas, he’s just a regular guy who worked his way up. I’m sure there’s people that like to see the story overblown.

When it comes to my personal life, I never comment on it. People speculate all the time who I am dating. I never comment on it because in this business, you have to keep something for yourself. If you continue answer questions like that then you belong to the people and the media. I don’t belong to the people and the media. I’m still Melyssa. And there’s a part of me reserved for those that I love. We’ll just say that he’s a really dope person.

DX: Don’t break all of our guy readers’ hearts, but is Ms. Ford ever going to be a Mrs?
MF: If I met him tomorrow I would shut it down for him. Yeah…I would. I would love to meet him. A man who loved me in spite of my flaws, cherished me, respected me, admired me. I meet a whole bunch of guys with a few characteristics here and there but I haven’t met the perfect person where the silence is just comfortable. I want kids. I want the picket fence and two car garage. I want to be Mrs. Beaver Cleaver. I do. I was rasied with two parents who were together until the day my father died. I want that. I’m very traditional in the way that I was raised. I carry that in the way that I date and the way that I expect to be courted by a gentleman. And there’s not a lot of gentleman these days. I’m generalizing. Not saying all men but niggas done lost they rabbit ass minds these days. [Laughs]

DX: That gives some of us guys a glimmer of hope. Have you ever considered writing a book? Not of Superhead proportions but something inspirational? A lot of women need to see positive role models these days.
MF: Exactly! That’s why I created the foundation with my partner Daniella. The reason why we created it together was because we both come from two different backgrounds nationality-wise. She’s part black and latina while I’m half white and half black and raised in Canada. This gives us a unique perspective on race and gender and how we navigated through this industry. Her, being my former manager, we came up against a lot of roadblocks because we were women about our business. We weren’t trying to fuck, but dudes really thought that after we would talk business, then we would get down. No. That’s not how it is for us. It’s really difficult in this industry, as a woman, to be respected for your mind. Especially if you are good looking. Guys don’t really like that shit mixed up – the beauty and the brains. I don’t care what everybody says, they really have issues with it. They’d rather have their pretty/dumb or their smart/ugly it just makes things easier to process. Otherwise, if she has both of those going on there is a major intimidation factor. I’ve experienced it my entire time in this industry. Continued on page 3 »