Melissa Howard

Melissa: My idea of success is knowing that I have four fresh Klondike Bars in the freezer, that makes me happy.

Melissa: (On her daily blog posts) People count on me. If I don't post for a week, I get hate mail, straight up. I'm part of the demise of corporate productivity and I love it.

Melissa's father works for the United States Postal Service, and her mother is a hotel housekeeper.

Melissa worked as a clerk at the Wilkes and McHugh Law Firm in Tampa. Her boss, Jim Wilkes paid for her to move to Los Angeles, including her air fare, and the cost of relocating her automobile. He still considers Melissa 'on leave', and keeps her health benefits open.

Melissa's favorite clubs are: The masquerade, The Atomic Age Cafe, and The New Age Brewery.

Melissa was provided with free counselling during her taping of The Real World, after she disclosed her father's drinking problem.

Melissa has appeared on the cover of TV Guide.

Melissa: Growing up in a Filipino and Black household was a really cool experience, 'cause my parents never asked me to categorize myself, and I never felt like I had to. So, if one day, I identify with Connie Chung and the next, Oprah, people will have to start dealing with it.

Melissa uses her family's cultural diversity as a main topic for comedy. She was born in Japan, her sister in Taiwan, and her brother was born in the Philipines. Her mother is Filipino, and her dad is black.

Melissa cites getting on stage and performing as her 'anti-drug'.

Melissa has started her own on-line business, where she sells her prints of original artwork that she created on The Real World.

Melissa would like to be the host of her own talk show someday.

Melissa spent a year after The Real World touring college campuses and talking to students.

Melissa was hired after an open call audition of Girls Behaving Badly, that she thought she bombed on.

Melissa had a walk on role as a television reporter on an episode of the Jamie Foxx Show, in 2000.

Melissa was featured in the August 2003 issue of Maxim magazine, in a pictorial titled Keepin' It Real.

Melissa announced that she needed a job on her guest spot on Conan O'Brien's talk show. She volunteered to accept ANY position. She was offered a job as a production assistant on the Jamie Foxx Show, the following day, she accepted.

Melissa is obsessed with the reality show America's Top Model. She was so upset when Nicole was announced winner, that she vowed never to watch again. She changed her mind though, after seeing Danielle on the following season.

Melissa's career in entertainment started in Los Angeles, as a stand up comedianne. She has since added accomplished author, actress, and painter to her accomplishments.

Melissa graduated from the University of South Florida, with a degree in Mass communications, and a minor in Black History.

Melissa is really good friends with Real World's Back to NY, Coral.