Melissa Leo

Melissa Leo

Known for
Acting
Born
September 14, 1960 (age 66)
Birthplace
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

Photos

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Filmography

—
Ron Forever poster

Ron Forever

Movie · as Hilda

—
The Rooster Prince

The Rooster Prince

Movie · as Elaine

—
The Mannequin

The Mannequin

Movie

—
Supermax

Supermax

Movie

—
Mother Wolf

Mother Wolf

Movie · as Babs

2026
Passenger poster

Passenger

Movie · as Diana Larson

2025
King Ivory poster

King Ivory

Movie · as Ginger Greene

2025
The Knife poster

The Knife

Movie · as Detective Carlsen

2025
Guns Up poster

Guns Up

Movie · as Michael Temple

2024
The Clean Up Crew poster

The Clean Up Crew

Movie · as Siobhan

2024
Long Gone Heroes poster

Long Gone Heroes

Movie · as Olivia

2024
AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence poster

AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence

Movie

2023
The Equalizer 3 poster

The Equalizer 3

Movie · as Susan Plummer

2022
Bonnie poster

Bonnie

Movie · as Self

2022
Measure of Revenge poster

Measure of Revenge

Movie · as Lillian

2022
Coast poster

Coast

Movie · as Olivia

2022
Alone Together poster

Alone Together

Movie · as Deborah

2022
Jane poster

Jane

Movie · as Principal Rhodes

2021
Body Brokers poster

Body Brokers

Movie · as Dr. White

2021
Thunder Force poster

Thunder Force

Movie · as Allie

2021
Ida Red poster

Ida Red

Movie · as Ida ‘Red’ Walker

2020
I Know This Much Is True poster

I Know This Much Is True

TV · as Concettina Ipolita Tempesta 'Ma' Birdsey · 6 eps

2019
Dolly Parton's Heartstrings poster

Dolly Parton's Heartstrings

TV · as Amelia Meegers · 1 ep

2018
The Ashram poster

The Ashram

Movie · as Chandra

2018
The Equalizer 2 poster

The Equalizer 2

Movie · as Susan Plummer

2018
Unlovable poster

Unlovable

Movie · as Maddie

2018
Furlough poster

Furlough

Movie · as Joan Anderson

2018
The Parting Glass poster

The Parting Glass

Movie · as Al

2018
Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer poster

Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer

Movie · as Narrator

2017
The View from Up Here poster

The View from Up Here

Movie · as Claire

2017
The Most Hated Woman in America poster

The Most Hated Woman in America

Movie · as Madalyn Murray O'Hair

2017
Novitiate poster

Novitiate

Movie · as Reverend Mother

2017
I'm Dying Up Here poster

I'm Dying Up Here

TV · as Goldie · 20 eps

2016
London Has Fallen poster

London Has Fallen

Movie · as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan

2016
Burn Country poster

Burn Country

Movie · as Gloria

2016
Snowden poster

Snowden

Movie · as Laura Poitras

2016
All the Way poster

All the Way

Movie · as Lady Bird Johnson

2015
The Ever After poster

The Ever After

Movie · as Penny

2015
She's The Best Thing in It poster

She's The Best Thing in It

Movie · as Self

2015
The Big Short poster

The Big Short

Movie · as Georgia Hale

2015
Damnation: The Flashback

Damnation: The Flashback

Movie · as Noda Marra

2015
After the Spill poster

After the Spill

Movie · as Narrator

2015
The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece poster

The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece

Movie · as Papillon

2015
Wayward Pines poster

Wayward Pines

TV · as Nurse Pam · 11 eps

2014
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn poster

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn

Movie · as Bette Altmann

2014
Dwegons and Leprechauns poster

Dwegons and Leprechauns

Movie · as Grandma Fitz / Butterfly McDweg / Mrs. Fitzgerald

2014
The Equalizer poster

The Equalizer

Movie · as Susan Plummer

2014
Broad City poster

Broad City

TV · as Lori · 1 ep

2014
BoJack Horseman poster

BoJack Horseman

TV · as Ma Nguyen (voice) · 2 eps

2013
Charlie Countryman poster

Charlie Countryman

Movie · as Kate

2013
Oblivion poster

Oblivion

Movie · as Sally

2013
Prisoners poster

Prisoners

Movie · as Holly Jones

2013
Olympus Has Fallen poster

Olympus Has Fallen

Movie · as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan

2013
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film poster

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

Movie · as Robin

2013
Bottled Up poster

Bottled Up

Movie · as Fay

2013
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy poster

Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy

Movie · as Self - Narrator (voice)

2013
The Arsenio Hall Show poster

The Arsenio Hall Show

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2012
Francine poster

Francine

Movie · as Francine

2012
Why Stop Now? poster

Why Stop Now?

Movie · as Penny

2012
Flight poster

Flight

Movie · as Ellen Block

2011
Red State poster

Red State

Movie · as Sara

2011
The Space Between poster

The Space Between

Movie · as Montine

2011
Seven Days in Utopia poster

Seven Days in Utopia

Movie · as Lily

2011
The Sea Is All I Know poster

The Sea Is All I Know

Movie · as Sara

2011
Mildred Pierce poster

Mildred Pierce

TV · as Lucy Gessler · 5 eps

2010
Welcome to the Rileys poster

Welcome to the Rileys

Movie · as Lois Riley

2010
Conviction poster

Conviction

Movie · as Nancy Taylor

2010
The Dry Land poster

The Dry Land

Movie · as Martha

2010
The Fighter poster

The Fighter

Movie · as Alice Ward

2010
Queen of the Lot poster

Queen of the Lot

Movie · as Aunt Bee

2010
Treme poster

Treme

TV · as Toni Bernette · 36 eps

2009
Veronika Decides to Die poster

Veronika Decides to Die

Movie · as Mari

2009
According to Greta poster

According to Greta

Movie · as Karen

2009
Everybody's Fine poster

Everybody's Fine

Movie · as Colleen

2009
Don McKay poster

Don McKay

Movie · as Marie

2009
Dear Lemon Lima poster

Dear Lemon Lima

Movie · as Mrs. Howard

2009
Stephanie's Image poster

Stephanie's Image

Movie · as Stephanie

2009
True Adolescents poster

True Adolescents

Movie · as Sharon Mitchell

2008
Frozen River poster

Frozen River

Movie · as Ray Eddy

2008
Lullaby poster

Lullaby

Movie · as Stephanie

2008
Righteous Kill poster

Righteous Kill

Movie · as Cheryl

2008
Santa Mesa poster

Santa Mesa

Movie · as Maggie

2008
The Alphabet Killer poster

The Alphabet Killer

Movie · as Kathy Walsh

2007
Black Irish poster

Black Irish

Movie · as Margaret McKay

2007
Racing Daylight poster

Racing Daylight

Movie · as Sadie / Anna

2007
One Night

One Night

Movie · as Wendy

2007
Stephanie Daley poster

Stephanie Daley

Movie · as Miri Daley

2007
Midnight Son poster

Midnight Son

Movie · as Rita

2007
Hollywood Dreams poster

Hollywood Dreams

Movie · as Aunt Bee

2007
The Cake Eaters poster

The Cake Eaters

Movie · as Ceci Kimbrough

2007
I Believe in America poster

I Believe in America

Movie · as Soto

2007
Dear Lemon Lima poster

Dear Lemon Lima

Movie · as Mrs. Howard

2007
Mr. Woodcock poster

Mr. Woodcock

Movie · as Sally Jansen

2007
Bomb

Bomb

Movie

2006
The House Is Burning poster

The House Is Burning

Movie · as Mrs. Miller

2006
The Limbo Room poster

The Limbo Room

Movie · as KC Collins

2006
Shark poster

Shark

TV · as Elizabeth Rourke · 1 ep

2005
Hide and Seek poster

Hide and Seek

Movie · as Laura

2005
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada poster

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

Movie · as Rachel

2005
Runaway poster

Runaway

Movie · as Lisa Adler

2005
American Gun poster

American Gun

Movie · as Louise

2005
Confess poster

Confess

Movie · as Agnes Lessor

2005
Criminal Minds poster

Criminal Minds

TV · as Sheriff Georgia Davis · 1 ep

2004
From Other Worlds poster

From Other Worlds

Movie · as Miriam

2004
Veronica Mars poster

Veronica Mars

TV · as Julia Smith · 1 ep

2004
The L Word poster

The L Word

TV · as Winnie Mann · 3 eps

2003
21 Grams poster

21 Grams

Movie · as Marianne Jordan

2003
Cold Case poster

Cold Case

TV · as Tayna Raymes (1994 & 2007) · 1 ep

2001
Law & Order: Criminal Intent poster

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

TV · as Maureen Curtis · 1 ep

2000
Homicide: The Movie poster

Homicide: The Movie

Movie · as Kay Howard

2000
Fear of Fiction poster

Fear of Fiction

Movie · as Sigrid Anderssen

2000
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation poster

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

TV · as Sybil Perez · 1 ep

1999
The 24 Hour Woman poster

The 24 Hour Woman

Movie · as Dr. Suzanne Pincus

1999
Code of Ethics poster

Code of Ethics

Movie · as Jo DeAngelo

1998
Under the bridge

Under the bridge

Movie · as Kathy

1998
Legacy poster

Legacy

TV · as Emma Bradford · 2 eps

1997
Who Is Henry Jaglom? poster

Who Is Henry Jaglom?

Movie · as Self

1995
Last Summer in the Hamptons poster

Last Summer in the Hamptons

Movie · as Trish Axelrod

1995
In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice poster

In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice

Movie · as Carol Manning

1995
Garden

Garden

Movie · as Elizabeth

1994
Scarlett poster

Scarlett

TV · as Suellen O'Hara Benteen · 2 eps

1993
The Ballad of Little Jo poster

The Ballad of Little Jo

Movie · as Beatrice Grey

1993
Homicide: Life on the Street poster

Homicide: Life on the Street

TV · as Kay Howard · 77 eps

1992
By a Thread poster

By a Thread

Movie · as Helen

1992
Immaculate Conception poster

Immaculate Conception

Movie · as Hannah

1992
Venice/Venice poster

Venice/Venice

Movie · as Peggy

1991
Carolina Skeletons poster

Carolina Skeletons

Movie · as Cassie

1990
The Bride in Black poster

The Bride in Black

Movie · as Mary Margaret

1990
Law & Order poster

Law & Order

TV · as Donna Cheponis, Defense Attorney Alice Sutton, Sherri Quinn · 1 ep

1989
Nasty Boys poster

Nasty Boys

Movie · as Katie Morrissey

1989
The Young Riders poster

The Young Riders

TV · as Emma Shannon · 24 eps

1988
A Time of Destiny poster

A Time of Destiny

Movie · as Josie Larraneta

1986
Deadtime Stories poster

Deadtime Stories

Movie · as Judith 'MaMa' Baer

1985
Streetwalkin' poster

Streetwalkin'

Movie · as Cookie

1985
Always … But Not Forever poster

Always … But Not Forever

Movie · as Peggy

1985
Silent Witness poster

Silent Witness

Movie · as Patti Mullen

1985
Spenser: For Hire poster

Spenser: For Hire

TV · 1 ep

1985
The Equalizer poster

The Equalizer

TV · as Irina Dzershinsky · 1 ep

1984
I'm Only There... poster

I'm Only There...

Movie · as Maggie

1984
Miami Vice poster

Miami Vice

TV · as Kathleen Gilfords · 1 ep