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
2025
- Guns Up as Michael Temple
- The Knife as Detective Carlsen
- King Ivory as Ginger Greene
2024
- Long Gone Heroes as Olivia
- The Clean Up Crew as Siobhan
- AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence
2023
- The Equalizer 3 as Susan Plummer
2022
- Alone Together as Deborah
- Bonnie as Self
- Coast as Olivia
- Measure of Revenge as Lillian
- Jane as Principal Rhodes
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
- Furlough as Joan Anderson
- The Ashram as Chandra
- The Parting Glass as Al
- Unlovable as Maddie
- Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer as Narrator
2017
- The Most Hated Woman in America as Madalyn Murray O'Hair
- Novitiate as Reverend Mother
- The View from Up Here as Claire
- I'm Dying Up Here as Goldie
2016
- Burn Country as Gloria
- London Has Fallen as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
- Snowden as Laura Poitras
- All the Way as Lady Bird Johnson
2015
- Wayward Pines as Nurse Pam
- The Big Short as Georgia Hale
- The Ever After as Penny
- She's The Best Thing in It as Self
- After the Spill as Narrator
- The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece as Papillon
- Damnation: The Flashback as Noda Marra
2014
- BoJack Horseman as Ma Nguyen (voice)
- Broad City as Lori
- The Equalizer as Susan Plummer
- The Angriest Man in Brooklyn as Bette Altmann
- Dwegons and Leprechauns as Grandma Fitz / Butterfly McDweg / Mrs. Fitzgerald
2013
- Prisoners as Holly Jones
- Olympus Has Fallen as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
- Oblivion as Sally
- Charlie Countryman as Kate
- Bottled Up as Fay
- The Arsenio Hall Show as Self
- Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Call Me Crazy: A Five Film as Robin
2012
- Flight as Ellen Block
- Why Stop Now? as Penny
- Francine as Francine
2011
- Red State as Sara
- Seven Days in Utopia as Lily
- The Space Between as Montine
- Mildred Pierce as Lucy Gessler
- The Sea Is All I Know as Sara
2010
- Conviction as Nancy Taylor
- Treme
- The Dry Land as Martha
- The Fighter as Alice Ward
- Queen of the Lot as Aunt Bee
- Welcome to the Rileys as Lois Riley
2009
- True Adolescents as Sharon Mitchell
- According to Greta as Karen
- Everybody's Fine as Colleen
- Veronika Decides to Die as Mari
- Don McKay as Marie
- Dear Lemon Lima as Mrs. Howard
- Stephanie's Image as Stephanie
2008
- Frozen River as Ray Eddy
- Santa Mesa as Maggie
- Righteous Kill as Cheryl
- Lullaby as Stephanie
- The Alphabet Killer as Kathy Walsh
2007
- Black Irish as Margaret McKay
- Racing Daylight as Sadie / Anna
- Bomb
- Hollywood Dreams as Aunt Bee
- Stephanie Daley as Miri Daley
- Midnight Son as Rita
- Mr. Woodcock as Sally Jansen
- I Believe in America as Soto
- The Cake Eaters as Ceci Kimbrough
- One Night as Wendy
- Dear Lemon Lima as Mrs. Howard
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
- American Gun as Louise
- Hide and Seek as Laura
- Runaway as Lisa Adler
- Confess as Agnes Lessor
- The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada as Rachel
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
- Code of Ethics as Jo DeAngelo
- The 24 Hour Woman as Dr. Suzanne Pincus
1998
1997
- Who Is Henry Jaglom? as Self
1995
- In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice as Carol Manning
- 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
- Venice/Venice as Peggy
- Immaculate Conception as Hannah
- 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
- 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
- Silent Witness as Patti Mullen
- Streetwalkin' as Cookie
- Always … But Not Forever as Peggy
1984
- Miami Vice as Kathleen Gilfords
- I'm Only There... as Maggie