Melissa Leo
Known For
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
Sep 14, 1960 (66 years old)
Place of Birth
Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Biography
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
| 2026 | Passenger | |
| 2025 | King IvoryGinger Greene | |
| 2025 | The KnifeDetective Carlsen | |
| 2025 | Guns UpMichael Temple | |
| 2024 | The Clean Up CrewSiobhan | |
| 2024 | Long Gone HeroesOlivia | |
| 2024 | AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence | |
| 2023 | The Equalizer 3Susan Plummer | |
| 2022 | BonnieSelf | |
| 2022 | Measure of RevengeLillian | |
| 2022 | CoastOlivia | |
| 2022 | Alone TogetherDeborah | |
| 2022 | JanePrincipal Rhodes | |
| 2021 | Body BrokersDr. White | |
| 2021 | Thunder ForceAllie | |
| 2021 | Ida RedIda ‘Red’ Walker | |
| 2020 | I Know This Much Is TrueConcettina Ipolita Tempesta 'Ma' Birdsey | |
| 2019 | Dolly Parton's HeartstringsAmelia Meegers | |
| 2018 | The AshramChandra | |
| 2018 | The Equalizer 2Susan Plummer | |
| 2018 | UnlovableMaddie | |
| 2018 | FurloughJoan Anderson | |
| 2018 | The Parting GlassAl | |
| 2018 | Mabel, Mabel Tiger TrainerNarrator | |
| 2017 | The View from Up HereClaire | |
| 2017 | The Most Hated Woman in AmericaMadalyn Murray O'Hair | |
| 2017 | NovitiateReverend Mother | |
| 2017 | I'm Dying Up HereGoldie | |
| 2016 | London Has FallenSecretary of Defense Ruth McMillan | |
| 2016 | Burn CountryGloria | |
| 2016 | SnowdenLaura Poitras | |
| 2016 | All the WayLady Bird Johnson | |
| 2015 | The Ever AfterPenny | |
| 2015 | She's The Best Thing in ItSelf | |
| 2015 | The Big ShortGeorgia Hale | |
| 2015 | Damnation: The FlashbackNoda Marra | |
| 2015 | After the SpillNarrator | |
| 2015 | The Butterfly, The Harp, and The TimepiecePapillon | |
| 2015 | Wayward PinesNurse Pam | |
| 2014 | The Angriest Man in BrooklynBette Altmann | |
| 2014 | Dwegons and LeprechaunsGrandma Fitz / Butterfly McDweg / Mrs. Fitzgerald | |
| 2014 | The EqualizerSusan Plummer | |
| 2014 | Broad CityLori | |
| 2014 | BoJack HorsemanMa Nguyen (voice) | |
| 2013 | Charlie CountrymanKate | |
| 2013 | OblivionSally | |
| 2013 | PrisonersHolly Jones | |
| 2013 | Olympus Has FallenSecretary of Defense Ruth McMillan | |
| 2013 | Call Me Crazy: A Five FilmRobin | |
| 2013 | Bottled UpFay | |
| 2013 | Letters to Jackie: Remembering President KennedySelf - Narrator (voice) | |
| 2013 | The Arsenio Hall ShowSelf | |
| 2012 | FrancineFrancine | |
| 2012 | Why Stop Now?Penny | |
| 2012 | FlightEllen Block | |
| 2011 | Red StateSara | |
| 2011 | The Space BetweenMontine | |
| 2011 | Seven Days in UtopiaLily | |
| 2011 | The Sea Is All I KnowSara | |
| 2011 | Mildred PierceLucy Gessler | |
| 2010 | Welcome to the RileysLois Riley | |
| 2010 | ConvictionNancy Taylor | |
| 2010 | The Dry LandMartha | |
| 2010 | The FighterAlice Ward | |
| 2010 | Queen of the LotAunt Bee | |
| 2010 | Treme | |
| 2010 | TremeToni Bernette | |
| 2009 | Veronika Decides to DieMari | |
| 2009 | According to GretaKaren | |
| 2009 | Everybody's FineColleen | |
| 2009 | Don McKayMarie | |
| 2009 | Dear Lemon LimaMrs. Howard | |
| 2009 | Stephanie's ImageStephanie | |
| 2009 | True AdolescentsSharon Mitchell | |
| 2008 | Frozen RiverRay Eddy | |
| 2008 | LullabyStephanie | |
| 2008 | Righteous KillCheryl | |
| 2008 | Santa MesaMaggie | |
| 2008 | The Alphabet KillerKathy Walsh | |
| 2007 | Black IrishMargaret McKay | |
| 2007 | Racing DaylightSadie / Anna | |
| 2007 | One NightWendy | |
| 2007 | Stephanie DaleyMiri Daley | |
| 2007 | Midnight SonRita | |
| 2007 | Hollywood DreamsAunt Bee | |
| 2007 | The Cake EatersCeci Kimbrough | |
| 2007 | I Believe in AmericaSoto | |
| 2007 | Dear Lemon LimaMrs. Howard | |
| 2007 | Mr. WoodcockSally Jansen | |
| 2007 | Bomb | |
| 2006 | The House Is BurningMrs. Miller | |
| 2006 | The Limbo RoomKC Collins | |
| 2006 | SharkElizabeth Rourke | |
| 2005 | Hide and SeekLaura | |
| 2005 | The Three Burials of Melquiades EstradaRachel | |
| 2005 | RunawayLisa Adler | |
| 2005 | American GunLouise | |
| 2005 | ConfessAgnes Lessor | |
| 2005 | Criminal MindsSheriff Georgia Davis | |
| 2004 | From Other WorldsMiriam | |
| 2004 | Veronica MarsJulia Smith | |
| 2004 | The L WordWinnie Mann | |
| 2003 | 21 GramsMarianne Jordan | |
| 2003 | Cold CaseTayna Raymes (1994 & 2007) | |
| 2001 | Law & Order: Criminal IntentMaureen Curtis | |
| 2000 | Homicide: The MovieKay Howard | |
| 2000 | Fear of FictionSigrid Anderssen | |
| 2000 | CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationSybil Perez | |
| 1999 | The 24 Hour WomanDr. Suzanne Pincus | |
| 1999 | Code of EthicsJo DeAngelo | |
| 1998 | Legacy | |
| 1997 | Who Is Henry Jaglom?Self | |
| 1995 | Last Summer in the HamptonsTrish Axelrod | |
| 1995 | In the Line of Duty: Hunt for JusticeCarol Manning | |
| 1994 | ScarlettSuellen O'Hara Benteen | |
| 1993 | The Ballad of Little JoBeatrice Grey | |
| 1993 | Homicide: Life on the StreetKay Howard | |
| 1992 | By a ThreadHelen | |
| 1992 | Immaculate ConceptionHannah | |
| 1992 | Venice/VenicePeggy | |
| 1991 | Carolina SkeletonsCassie | |
| 1990 | The Bride in BlackMary Margaret | |
| 1990 | Law & OrderDonna Cheponis | |
| 1990 | Law & OrderDefense Attorney Alice Sutton | |
| 1990 | Law & OrderSherri Quinn | |
| 1989 | Nasty BoysKatie Morrissey | |
| 1989 | The Young RidersEmma Shannon | |
| 1989 | Nasty BoysKatie Morrissey | |
| 1988 | A Time of DestinyJosie Larraneta | |
| 1986 | Deadtime StoriesJudith 'MaMa' Baer | |
| 1985 | Streetwalkin'Cookie | |
| 1985 | Always … But Not ForeverPeggy | |
| 1985 | Silent WitnessPatti Mullen | |
| 1985 | Spenser: For Hire | |
| 1985 | The EqualizerIrina Dzershinsky | |
| 1984 | I'm Only There...Maggie | |
| 1984 | Miami ViceKathleen Gilfords | |
| - | Ron ForeverHilda | |
| - | The Rooster PrinceElaine |
| 2018 | FurloughProducer | |
| 2013 | Bottled UpProducer |