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Melissa Leo

Melissa Leo

Acting

Born: September 14, 1960Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

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
Filmography
Passenger

Passenger

2026
The Knife

The Knife

Detective Carlsen

2025
Guns Up

Guns Up

Michael Temple

2025
King Ivory

King Ivory

Ginger Greene

2025
AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence

AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence

2024
Long Gone Heroes

Long Gone Heroes

Olivia

2024
The Clean Up Crew

The Clean Up Crew

Siobhan

2024
The Equalizer 3

The Equalizer 3

Susan Plummer

2023
Bonnie

Bonnie

Self

2022
Jane

Jane

Principal Rhodes

2022
Alone Together

Alone Together

Deborah

2022
Coast

Coast

Olivia

2022
Measure of Revenge

Measure of Revenge

Lillian

2022
Ida Red

Ida Red

Ida ‘Red’ Walker

2021
Thunder Force

Thunder Force

Allie

2021
Body Brokers

Body Brokers

Dr. White

2021
Unlovable

Unlovable

Maddie

2018
The Equalizer 2

The Equalizer 2

Susan Plummer

2018
The Parting Glass

The Parting Glass

Al

2018
Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer

Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer

Narrator

2018
Furlough

Furlough

Joan Anderson

2018
The Ashram

The Ashram

Chandra

2018
Novitiate

Novitiate

Reverend Mother

2017
The View from Up Here

The View from Up Here

Claire

2017
The Most Hated Woman in America

The Most Hated Woman in America

Madalyn Murray O'Hair

2017
Snowden

Snowden

Laura Poitras

2016
All the Way

All the Way

Lady Bird Johnson

2016
Burn Country

Burn Country

Gloria

2016
London Has Fallen

London Has Fallen

Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan

2016
The Big Short

The Big Short

Georgia Hale

2015

Damnation: The Flashback

Noda Marra

2015
After the Spill

After the Spill

Narrator

2015
The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece

The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece

Papillon

2015
She's The Best Thing in It

She's The Best Thing in It

Self

2015
The Ever After

The Ever After

Penny

2015
The Equalizer

The Equalizer

Susan Plummer

2014
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn

Bette Altmann

2014
Dwegons and Leprechauns

Dwegons and Leprechauns

Grandma Fitz / Butterfly McDweg / Mrs. Fitzgerald

2014
Prisoners

Prisoners

Holly Jones

2013
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy

Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy

Self - Narrator (voice)

2013
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

Robin

2013
Bottled Up

Bottled Up

Fay

2013
Oblivion

Oblivion

Sally

2013
Olympus Has Fallen

Olympus Has Fallen

Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan

2013
Charlie Countryman

Charlie Countryman

Kate

2013
Francine

Francine

Francine

2012
Why Stop Now?

Why Stop Now?

Penny

2012
Flight

Flight

Ellen Block

2012
The Space Between

The Space Between

Montine

2011
Seven Days in Utopia

Seven Days in Utopia

Lily

2011
Red State

Red State

Sara

2011
The Sea Is All I Know

The Sea Is All I Know

Sara

2011
The Fighter

The Fighter

Alice Ward

2010
Queen of the Lot

Queen of the Lot

Aunt Bee

2010
Welcome to the Rileys

Welcome to the Rileys

Lois Riley

2010
Conviction

Conviction

Nancy Taylor

2010
The Dry Land

The Dry Land

Martha

2010
Everybody's Fine

Everybody's Fine

Colleen

2009
According to Greta

According to Greta

Karen

2009
Dear Lemon Lima

Dear Lemon Lima

Mrs. Howard

2009
Veronika Decides to Die

Veronika Decides to Die

Mari

2009
Don McKay

Don McKay

Marie

2009
True Adolescents

True Adolescents

Sharon Mitchell

2009
Stephanie's Image

Stephanie's Image

Stephanie

2009
The Alphabet Killer

The Alphabet Killer

Kathy Walsh

2008
Righteous Kill

Righteous Kill

Cheryl

2008
Frozen River

Frozen River

Ray Eddy

2008
Santa Mesa

Santa Mesa

Maggie

2008
Lullaby

Lullaby

Stephanie

2008
Black Irish

Black Irish

Margaret McKay

2007
Mr. Woodcock

Mr. Woodcock

Sally Jansen

2007
Racing Daylight

Racing Daylight

Sadie / Anna

2007
I Believe in America

I Believe in America

Soto

2007
Hollywood Dreams

Hollywood Dreams

Aunt Bee

2007
The Cake Eaters

The Cake Eaters

Ceci Kimbrough

2007
Dear Lemon Lima

Dear Lemon Lima

Mrs. Howard

2007
Stephanie Daley

Stephanie Daley

Miri Daley

2007
Midnight Son

Midnight Son

Rita

2007

Bomb

2007

One Night

Wendy

2007
The House Is Burning

The House Is Burning

Mrs. Miller

2006
The Limbo Room

The Limbo Room

KC Collins

2006
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

Rachel

2005
Confess

Confess

Agnes Lessor

2005
American Gun

American Gun

Louise

2005
Runaway

Runaway

Lisa Adler

2005
Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek

Laura

2005
From Other Worlds

From Other Worlds

Miriam

2004
21 Grams

21 Grams

Marianne Jordan

2003
Fear of Fiction

Fear of Fiction

Sigrid Anderssen

2000
Homicide: The Movie

Homicide: The Movie

Kay Howard

2000
Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics

Jo DeAngelo

1999
The 24 Hour Woman

The 24 Hour Woman

Dr. Suzanne Pincus

1999
Who Is Henry Jaglom?

Who Is Henry Jaglom?

Self

1997
Last Summer in the Hamptons

Last Summer in the Hamptons

Trish Axelrod

1995
In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice

In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice

Carol Manning

1995
The Ballad of Little Jo

The Ballad of Little Jo

Beatrice Grey

1993
By a Thread

By a Thread

Helen

1992
Immaculate Conception

Immaculate Conception

Hannah

1992
Venice/Venice

Venice/Venice

Peggy

1992
Carolina Skeletons

Carolina Skeletons

Cassie

1991
The Bride in Black

The Bride in Black

Mary Margaret

1990
Nasty Boys

Nasty Boys

Katie Morrissey

1989
A Time of Destiny

A Time of Destiny

Josie Larraneta

1988
Deadtime Stories

Deadtime Stories

Judith 'MaMa' Baer

1986
Silent Witness

Silent Witness

Patti Mullen

1985
Always … But Not Forever

Always … But Not Forever

Peggy

1985
Streetwalkin'

Streetwalkin'

Cookie

1985
I'm Only There...

I'm Only There...

Maggie

1984