About
Melissa Leo
Overview
Melissa Leo (born September 14, 1960) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in 1985, for which she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Ingenue/Woman in the Drama Series “All My Children”. Her most notable role as was as Det. Sgt. Kay Howard on “Homicide: Life on the Street” for the show's first five seasons from 1993–1997.
Following several films, Leo received critical acclaim and national attention in earning several nominations and awards, including an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Leo earned several awards for her role as Alice Ward in the critically acclaimed film, “The Fighter” (2010). For this role Leo won the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Leo currently appears on the television series Treme.
Leo currently resides in Stone Ridge, New York and two sons John Matthew Heard (born 1987), and Adam (adopted - born 1984).
Known for
Acting |
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| 2024 | AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence | Actor | N/A N/A |
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| 2024 | King Ivory | Actor | Ginger Greene | N/A N/A |
| 2024 | Long Gone Heroes | Actor | Olivia | 58 Average |
| 2024 | The Clean Up Crew | Actor | Siobhan | 58 Average |
| 2024 | The Knife | Actor | Detective Carlsen | 58 Average |
| 2023 | The Equalizer 3 | Actor | Susan Plummer | 70 Good |
| 2022 | Bonnie | Actor | Self | 59 Average |
| 2022 | Jane | Actor | Principal Rhodes | 59 Average |
| 2022 | Alone Together | Actor | Deborah | 58 Average |
| 2022 | Coast | Actor | Olivia | 58 Average |
| 2022 | Measure of Revenge | Actor | Lillian | 58 Average |
| 2021 | Ida Red | Actor | Ida ‘Red’ Walker | 59 Average |
| 2021 | Thunder Force | Actor | Allie | 56 Average |
| 2021 | Body Brokers | Actor | Dr. White | 59 Average |
| 2020 | I Know This Much Is True | Actor | Concettina Ipolita Tempesta 'Ma' Birdsey | 74 Good |
| 2018 | Unlovable | Actor | Maddie | 58 Average |
| 2018 | The Equalizer 2 | Actor | Susan Plummer | 66 Fair |
| 2018 | The Parting Glass | Actor | Al | 58 Average |
| 2018 | Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer | Actor | Narrator | N/A N/A |
| 2018 | Furlough | Actor | Joan Anderson | 59 Average |
| 2018 | The Ashram | Actor | Chandra | 58 Average |
| 2017 | Novitiate | Actor | Reverend Mother | 60 Fair |
| 2017 | The View from Up Here | Actor | 59 Average |
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| 2017 | I'm Dying Up Here | Actor | Goldie | 68 Fair |
| 2017 | The Most Hated Woman in America | Actor | Madalyn Murray O'Hair | 59 Average |
| 2016 | Snowden | Actor | Laura Poitras | 69 Fair |
| 2016 | All the Way | Actor | Lady Bird Johnson | 61 Fair |
| 2016 | Burn Country | Actor | Gloria | 58 Average |
| 2016 | London Has Fallen | Actor | Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan | 61 Fair |
| 2015 | The Big Short | Actor | Georgia Hale | 72 Good |
| 2015 | Damnation: The Flashback | Actor | Noda Marra | 59 Average |
| 2015 | After the Spill | Actor | Narrator | 59 Average |
| 2015 | The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece | Actor | Papillon | N/A N/A |
| 2015 | She's The Best Thing in It | Actor | Self | 58 Average |
| 2015 | The Ever After | Actor | Penny | 58 Average |
| 2014 | The Equalizer | Actor | Susan Plummer | 72 Good |
| 2014 | The Angriest Man in Brooklyn | Actor | Bette Altmann | 57 Average |
| 2014 | Dwegons and Leprechauns | Actor | Grandma Fitz / Butterfly McDweg / Mrs. Fitzgerald | 59 Average |
| 2013 | Prisoners | Actor | Holly Jones | 80 Very good |
| 2013 | Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2013 | Call Me Crazy: A Five Film | Actor | Robin | 59 Average |
| 2013 | Bottled Up | Actor | Fay | 58 Average |
| 2013 | Oblivion | Actor | Sally | 65 Fair |
| 2013 | Olympus Has Fallen | Actor | Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan | 63 Fair |
| 2013 | Charlie Countryman | Actor | Kate | 61 Fair |
| 2012 | Flight | Actor | Ellen Block | 67 Fair |
| 2012 | Francine | Actor | Francine | 59 Average |
| 2012 | Why Stop Now? | Actor | Penny | 58 Average |
| 2011 | The Space Between | Actor | Montine | 59 Average |
| 2011 | Seven Days in Utopia | Actor | Lily | 58 Average |
| 2011 | Red State | Actor | Sara | 60 Fair |
| 2011 | The Sea Is All I Know | Actor | Sara | N/A N/A |
| 2011 | Mildred Pierce | Actor | Lucy Gessler | 69 Fair |
| 2010 | The Fighter | Actor | Alice Ward | 72 Good |
| 2010 | Queen of the Lot | Actor | Aunt Bee | 59 Average |
| 2010 | Welcome to the Rileys | Actor | Lois Riley | 62 Fair |
| 2010 | Conviction | Actor | Nancy Taylor | 65 Fair |
| 2010 | The Dry Land | Actor | Martha | 58 Average |
| 2010 | Treme | Actor | Toni Bernette | 74 Good |
| 2009 | Everybody's Fine | Actor | Colleen | 64 Fair |
| 2009 | According to Greta | Actor | Karen | 59 Average |
| 2009 | Dear Lemon Lima | Actor | Mrs. Howard | 58 Average |
| 2009 | Veronika Decides to Die | Actor | Mari | 58 Average |
| 2009 | Don McKay | Actor | Marie | 58 Average |
| 2009 | True Adolescents | Actor | Sharon Mitchell | 59 Average |
| 2009 | Stephanie's Image | Actor | Stephanie | N/A N/A |
| 2008 | The Alphabet Killer | Actor | Kathy Walsh | 56 Average |
| 2008 | Righteous Kill | Actor | Cheryl | 58 Average |
| 2008 | Frozen River | Actor | Ray Eddy | 62 Fair |
| 2008 | Santa Mesa | Actor | Maggie | 59 Average |
| 2008 | Lullaby | Actor | Stephanie | 59 Average |
| 2007 | Black Irish | Actor | Margaret McKay | 59 Average |
| 2007 | Mr. Woodcock | Actor | Sally Jansen | 55 Average |
| 2007 | Racing Daylight | Actor | Sadie / Anna | 59 Average |
| 2007 | I Believe in America | Actor | Soto | N/A N/A |
| 2007 | Hollywood Dreams | Actor | Aunt Bee | 58 Average |
| 2007 | The Cake Eaters | Actor | Ceci Kimbrough | 58 Average |
| 2007 | Dear Lemon Lima | Actor | Mrs. Howard | N/A N/A |
| 2007 | Stephanie Daley | Actor | Miri Daley | 59 Average |
| 2007 | Midnight Son | Actor | Rita | N/A N/A |
| 2007 | Bomb | Actor | N/A N/A |
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| 2007 | One Night | Actor | Wendy | 59 Average |
| 2006 | The House Is Burning | Actor | Mrs. Miller | 59 Average |
| 2006 | The Limbo Room | Actor | KC Collins | N/A N/A |
| 2005 | The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada | Actor | Rachel | 65 Fair |
| 2005 | American Gun | Actor | Louise | 58 Average |
| 2005 | Runaway | Actor | Lisa Adler | 59 Average |
| 2005 | Hide and Seek | Actor | Laura | 62 Fair |
| 2005 | Confess | Actor | Agnes Lessor | 58 Average |
| 2004 | From Other Worlds | Actor | Miriam | 58 Average |
| 2003 | 21 Grams | Actor | Marianne Jordan | 71 Good |
| 2000 | Fear of Fiction | Actor | Sigrid Anderssen | N/A N/A |
| 2000 | Homicide: The Movie | Actor | Kay Howard | 59 Average |
| 1999 | Code of Ethics | Actor | Jo DeAngelo | N/A N/A |
| 1999 | The 24 Hour Woman | Actor | Dr. Suzanne Pincus | 58 Average |
| 1997 | Who Is Henry Jaglom? | Actor | Self | 59 Average |
| 1995 | Last Summer in the Hamptons | Actor | Trish Axelrod | 59 Average |
| 1995 | In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice | Actor | Carol Manning | 58 Average |
| 1994 | Scarlett | Actor | 68 Fair |
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| 1993 | The Ballad of Little Jo | Actor | Beatrice Grey | 59 Average |
| 1992 | Immaculate Conception | Actor | Hannah | 58 Average |
| 1992 | Venice/Venice | Actor | Peggy | 59 Average |
| 1991 | Carolina Skeletons | Actor | Cassie | 59 Average |
| 1990 | The Bride in Black | Actor | Mary Margaret | 59 Average |
| 1989 | Nasty Boys | Actor | Katie Morrissey | 59 Average |
| 1988 | A Time of Destiny | Actor | Josie Larraneta | 58 Average |
| 1986 | Deadtime Stories | Actor | Judith 'MaMa' Baer | 58 Average |
| 1985 | Silent Witness | Actor | Patti Mullen | 58 Average |
| 1985 | Always … But Not Forever | Actor | Peggy | 59 Average |
| 1985 | Streetwalkin' | Actor | Cookie | 58 Average |
| 1984 | I'm Only There... | Actor | Maggie | N/A N/A |
| Returns | Actor | N/A N/A |
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Production |
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| 2018 | Furlough | Production | Producer | 59 Average |
| 2013 | Bottled Up | Production | Producer | 58 Average |