Melissa Leo
Born: 1960-09-14 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Known For: Acting
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).
Filmography
2026
- Passenger as Diana Larson
2025
- King Ivory as Ginger Greene
- Guns Up as Michael Temple
- The Knife as Detective Carlsen
2024
- Long Gone Heroes as Olivia
- The Clean Up Crew as Siobhan
- AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence
2023
- The Equalizer 3 as Susan Plummer
2022
- Measure of Revenge as Lillian
- Alone Together as Deborah
- Jane as Principal Rhodes
- Bonnie as Self
- Coast as Olivia
2021
- Thunder Force as Allie
- Body Brokers as Dr. White
- Ida Red as Ida ‘Red’ Walker
2020
- I Know This Much Is True as Concettina Ipolita Tempesta 'Ma' Birdsey
2019
- Dolly Parton's Heartstrings as Amelia Meegers
2018
- The Equalizer 2 as Susan Plummer
- Unlovable as Maddie
- The Parting Glass as Al
- Furlough as Joan Anderson
- The Ashram as Chandra
- Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer as Narrator
2017
- I'm Dying Up Here as Goldie
- Novitiate as Reverend Mother
- The Most Hated Woman in America as Madalyn Murray O'Hair
- The View from Up Here as Claire
2016
- London Has Fallen as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
- Snowden as Laura Poitras
- All the Way as Lady Bird Johnson
- Burn Country as Gloria
2015
- The Big Short as Georgia Hale
- Wayward Pines as Nurse Pam
- The Ever After as Penny
- She's The Best Thing in It as Self
- The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece as Papillon
- After the Spill as Narrator
- Damnation: The Flashback as Noda Marra
2014
- BoJack Horseman as Ma Nguyen (voice)
- The Equalizer as Susan Plummer
- Broad City as Lori
- The Angriest Man in Brooklyn as Bette Altmann
- Dwegons and Leprechauns as Grandma Fitz / Butterfly McDweg / Mrs. Fitzgerald
2013
- Prisoners as Holly Jones
- Oblivion as Sally
- Olympus Has Fallen as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
- The Arsenio Hall Show as Self
- Charlie Countryman as Kate
- Call Me Crazy: A Five Film as Robin
- Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Bottled Up as Fay
2012
- Flight as Ellen Block
- Why Stop Now? as Penny
- Francine as Francine
2011
- Mildred Pierce as Lucy Gessler
- Red State as Sara
- The Space Between as Montine
- Seven Days in Utopia as Lily
- The Sea Is All I Know as Sara
2010
- Treme as Toni Bernette
- The Fighter as Alice Ward
- Welcome to the Rileys as Lois Riley
- Conviction as Nancy Taylor
- The Dry Land as Martha
- Queen of the Lot as Aunt Bee
2009
- Everybody's Fine as Colleen
- Veronika Decides to Die as Mari
- According to Greta as Karen
- Don McKay as Marie
- Dear Lemon Lima as Mrs. Howard
- True Adolescents as Sharon Mitchell
- Stephanie's Image as Stephanie
2008
- Righteous Kill as Cheryl
- Frozen River as Ray Eddy
- The Alphabet Killer as Kathy Walsh
- Lullaby as Stephanie
- Santa Mesa as Maggie
2007
- Mr. Woodcock as Sally Jansen
- The Cake Eaters as Ceci Kimbrough
- Stephanie Daley as Miri Daley
- Bomb
- Black Irish as Margaret McKay
- Hollywood Dreams as Aunt Bee
- One Night as Wendy
- Dear Lemon Lima as Mrs. Howard
- Racing Daylight as Sadie / Anna
- I Believe in America as Soto
- Midnight Son as Rita
2006
- Shark as Elizabeth Rourke
- The Limbo Room as KC Collins
- The House Is Burning as Mrs. Miller
2005
- Criminal Minds as Sheriff Georgia Davis
- Hide and Seek as Laura
- The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada as Rachel
- American Gun as Louise
- Confess as Agnes Lessor
- Runaway as Lisa Adler
2004
- Veronica Mars as Julia Smith
- The L Word as Winnie Mann
- From Other Worlds as Miriam
2001
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Maureen Curtis
2000
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Sybil Perez
- Homicide: The Movie as Kay Howard
- Fear of Fiction as Sigrid Anderssen
1999
- The 24 Hour Woman as Dr. Suzanne Pincus
- Code of Ethics as Jo DeAngelo
1998
- Legacy as Emma Bradford
1997
- Who Is Henry Jaglom? as Self
1995
- In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice as Carol Manning
- Garden as Elizabeth
- Last Summer in the Hamptons as Trish Axelrod
1994
- Scarlett as Suellen O'Hara Benteen
1993
- Homicide: Life on the Street as Kay Howard
- The Ballad of Little Jo as Beatrice Grey
1992
- Immaculate Conception as Hannah
- Venice/Venice as Peggy
- By a Thread as Helen
1991
- Carolina Skeletons as Cassie
1990
- Law & Order as Donna Cheponis
- The Bride in Black as Mary Margaret
1989
- The Young Riders as Emma Shannon
- Nasty Boys as Katie Morrissey
1988
- A Time of Destiny as Josie Larraneta
1986
- Deadtime Stories as Judith 'MaMa' Baer
1985
- The Equalizer as Irina Dzershinsky
- Spenser: For Hire
- Streetwalkin' as Cookie
- Silent Witness as Patti Mullen
- Always … But Not Forever as Peggy
1984
- Miami Vice as Kathleen Gilfords
- I'm Only There... as Maggie