Biography
Who is Willa Ford?
Early life and background
Amanda Lee Williford was born on January 22, 1981, in Ruskin, Florida. She grew up in this area and began her musical path at a young age. She joined the Tampa Bay Children's Choir when she was eight years old.
By the time she reached age 11, she was performing with the Entertainment Revue, a children's performing arts group based in Tampa. She later attended East Bay High School located in Gibsonton, Florida.
Music career highlights
Willa Ford began performing under the name Mandah in 1999 after signing with MCA. She later moved to Lava Records and Atlantic Records. Her song Lullaby was included on the Pokémon: The First Movie soundtrack. She eventually adopted her current stage name to avoid confusion with Mandy Moore.
In 2001, she released her first album, Willa Was Here, which featured the single I Wanna Be Bad. The record reached number 56 on the Billboard 200 and sold roughly 200,000 copies. She also released the single Did Ya' Understand That later that year.
After a long break from the industry, she returned to music in late 2025 with the single Burn Burn. She followed this with a cover of O Holy Night in December. In 2026, she released her second album titled Amanda, which included the songs Love4Life and Carousel.
Television and film work
Willa has appeared in several films, including the 2009 movie Friday the 13th. She also had a role in the direct-to-video production Universal Squadrons in 2010. In 2014, she was linked to several film projects such as Submerged and The Nurse, though she was reportedly replaced during the production of Assassin's Fury.
On television, she hosted the reality series The Morning After and I Bet You Will for MTV. She also competed on the third season of Dancing with the Stars in 2006 with partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Her television credits include appearances on The Glades, Magic City, and Leverage.
Personal life and family
Willa Ford married hockey player Mike Modano in August 2007 in Athens, Texas. The couple announced their divorce in August 2012. In 2015, she married Ryan Nece, a former linebacker for the NFL.
She became a mother in September 2016 when she gave birth to her son. In April 2025, she welcomed a daughter through the use of a surrogate.
Birthday and age
Willa Ford was born on January 22, 1981, which makes Willa 45 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Willa shares the date with 31 other famous people.
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