Willa Ford

Amanda Lee Williford (born January 22, 1981), known by her stage name Willa Ford, is an American interior decorator, singer, songwriter, television personality, film actress, dancer, and model. She released her debut album, Willa Was Here, in 2001. Ford also has appeared in movies such as Friday the 13th, hosted several reality television shows, posed for Playboy and competed on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

Early life Ford was raised in Ruskin, Florida. "Ooh Ooh" was released as a promotional single, but also failed to find success.

Ford was a spokesperson for Pantene Pro-V's ProVoice campaign while promoting the album. She also appeared in Uncle Kracker's video for "In a Little While". Ford also went on to guest-host MTV's TRL and Say What Karaoke, which led to a hosting contract with Viacom. Ford hosted the MTV reality shows The Morning After and I Bet You Will. In 2001, Ford also co-wrote and recorded a duet with South Korean pop star Park Ji-yoon. The song, titled "Nastified", appeared on Park's fifth album, Man. She was also part of an ad campaign for Six Flags.

In 2003, Ford released a song titled "A Toast to Men". The song, which featured guest rapper Lady May, was featured in daytime promotional ads for soap operas. The single came from her unreleased second album Sexysexobsessive, which was previously titled Porn Poetry. The title track, "Sexysexobsessive", was to be the second single, but it was only released through Ford's official website.

From 2005 to 2006, she appeared as a guest doll in Pussycat Dolls' show at the club in Las Vegas. In 2010, she released her first song since 2003, "All This Time" online, a collaboration with Riley Smith. In 2011, Ford resumed her music career with a performance at The Viper Room in LA. In the performance, she revealed her first solo song since 2003, "Back Back Back". In 2014, she was featured on the song "Rock Tonight" by Eve Nelson and Ray Cervenka.

She would state that after her music did not garner as much success as hoped for, she "really took a step back because I felt like I wasn't doing what I was supposed to be at the time. I know that sounds crazy, but it was the perfect storm, and I walked away," as she would go on to try out many different careers. On December 12, she released a cover version of "O Holy Night". In 2026, she released the singles "Love4Life" on January 9, and "Carousel" on February 13, from her second album, Amanda. The album was released on March 6. To cerebrate its 25th anniversary, Willa released two new versions of "I Wanna Be Bad," the orchestral version on April 26 and the "Willa's version" on July 17. In September, I Wanna Be Bad is appointed to Calvin Klein's 'Feel the Fit' denim campaign starring Sadie Sink.

Television, film, and magazine appearances In 2002, Ford appeared in an episode of the short-lived television sitcom Raising Dad, playing a bully named Edie. In 2005, Ford hosted the first season of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV. After the show's finale, Ford was contracted as a summer's guest doll performer for the Las Vegas shows of The Pussycat Dolls. Ford was later featured as the June celebrity on FHMs 2005 pin-up calendar.

In early 2006, Ford played as one of the four celebrity quarterbacks for the Lingerie Bowl, which was shown during the half-time of Super Bowl XL. Later that year, she was featured in a nude pictorial in the March 2006 issue of Playboy. Stuff magazine ranked her No. 48 in the 101 Sexiest Online Women supplement later that year. In fall 2006, Ford competed on the third season of Dancing with the Stars. Ford and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, were eliminated in the fifth week of competition. She talked about her experience with Maxim in its January 2007 issue.

Ford appeared on an episode of My Celebrity Home on the Style Network, which aired on January 31, 2007 She also hosted the third season of Pants-Off Dance-Off on Fuse TV. On August 23, 2007, Ford and her then-husband, NHL hockey player Mike Modano, were featured in an episode of MTV Cribs.

Ford appeared in the 2009 slasher film Friday the 13th.

Ford played Becca in the direct-to-video Universal Squadrons, which was first shown at the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival in 2010.

Ford appeared in a 2011 episode of The Glades. In 2012, she appeared in 4 episodes of the Magic City and an episode of Leverage season five. In June 2014, it was announced that she was working on four films: Submerged, Any Day, The Nurse, and Checkmate.

Ford was also cast in the film Assassin's Fury, but was later dropped. In an interview with BZFilm.com, producer Fabio Soldani said that Ford was replaced after five days of shooting and that she was "a nightmare to be around" and "shooting was a really sad place to be for those 5 days".

She currently runs a home interior design business, WFord Interiors.

In 2019, Ford appeared on an E!'s reality show Flip It Like Disick.

Personal life Ford and hockey player Mike Modano married in a small, private ceremony on August 25, 2007, in Athens, Texas. In August 2012, Ford and Modano announced that they were divorcing.

In April 2015, Ford married former NFL linebacker Ryan Nece. In March 2016, it was announced that the couple were expecting their first child. On September 7, 2016, Ford gave birth to a son. In April 2025, she welcomed a daughter via surrogacy.

Discography

Albums + List of studio albums, with selected chart positions, sales, and certifications Title Album details Peaks US Willa Was HereReleased July 17, 2001 Label: Lava, Atlantic Format: CD, digital download, streaming 56Amanda Release date: March 6, 2026 Label: Willa Ford Music Format: LP, digital download, streaming —

Singles

Filmography Film Year Film Role Notes 2007 The Anna Nicole Smith Story Anna Nicole Smith 2008 Impulse Claire Dennison 2009 Friday the 13th Chelsea 2011 Universal Squadrons Becca 2014 The Nurse Lynette 2015 Any Day Cherry Checkmate Sasha 2016A Father's Secret/Hunt for Truth Kerry Evans TV filmEntitled Enquête sécrète in France. Submerged Carla

Television Year Title Role Notes 2001 The Mind of the Married Man Popstar 2002 I Bet You Will Host Raising Dad Edie The Morning After Host Miss Teen USA Host 2003 Jimmy Kimmel Live! Guest appearance 2005 The Ultimate Fighter Host 2006 Lingerie Bowl IIICelebrity Quarterback for the Dallas Desire Calvin Ayre WildCard Poker Player Dancing with the Stars Celebrity Dancer Jimmy Kimmel Live! Guest appearance Live with Regis and Kelly Guest appearance 2007 Pants Off Dance Off Host Red Eye Guest Appearance MTV Cribs Introduced her home My Celebrity Home Introduced her home 2010 Chelsea Lately Guest appearance 2011 The Glades Shelby Adams Episode: "'shine" 2012 Magic City Janice Michaels 4 episodes Leverage Tabatha Delavega Episode: "The Low Low Price Job" 2019Flip It Like Disick Herself

Music videos Year Title Artist 2001 "I Wanna Be Bad" Herself "Did Ya' Understand That" "Santa Baby (Gimme, Gimme, Gimme)" 2002 "In a Little While" Uncle Kracker 2003 "A Toast to Men" Herself 2011 "Burn It Down" Awolnation 2025 "Burn Burn" Herself 2026 "Love4life" "Carousel" "Disassosiate" "How Do You Like Me Now" "I Wanna Be Bad - String Orchestral Version" "Flex"

Other Television live performances Teensasion Hard Rock Live Total Request Live The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Live with Regis and Kelly All That The Today Show The Kelly Clarkson Show

Television commercials Six Flags Magic Mountain

Events Pantene Pro-Voice Live Guavaween