Melissa Leo

Melissa Leo

63 · Born: Sep 14, 1960

Personal Details

Born Sep 14, 1960 New York City, New York, USA
Parents
  • Peggy Chessington Leo
  • Arnold Leo

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).

Career

2022
Coast
Coast as Olivia
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Measure of Revenge
Measure of Revenge as Lillian
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Jane
Jane as Principal Rhodes
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Alone Together
Alone Together as Deborah
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2021
Ida Red
Ida Red as Ida ‘Red’ Walker
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Body Brokers
Body Brokers as Dr. White
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Thunder Force
Thunder Force as Allie
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2020
I Know This Much Is True
I Know This Much Is True as Concettina Ipolita Tempesta 'Ma' Birdsey
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2019
Dolly Parton's Heartstrings
Dolly Parton's Heartstrings as Amelia Meegers
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2018
Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer
Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer as Narrator
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The Ashram
The Ashram as Chandra
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The Parting Glass
The Parting Glass as Al
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The Equalizer 2
The Equalizer 2 as Susan Plummer
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Unlovable
Unlovable as Maddie
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Furlough
Furlough as Joan Anderson
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2017
The Most Hated Woman in America
The Most Hated Woman in America as Madalyn Murray O'Hair
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Novitiate
Novitiate as Reverend Mother
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I'm Dying Up Here
I'm Dying Up Here as Goldie
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2016
Burn Country
Burn Country as Gloria
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All the Way
All the Way as Lady Bird Johnson
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London Has Fallen
London Has Fallen as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
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Snowden
Snowden as Laura Poitras
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2015
After the Spill
After the Spill as Narrator
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The Big Short
The Big Short as Georgia Hale
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The Ever After
The Ever After as Penny
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Wayward Pines
Wayward Pines as Nurse Pam
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2014
Dwegons and Leprechauns
Dwegons and Leprechauns as Grandma Fitz / Butterfly McDweg / Mrs. Fitzgerald
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The Angriest Man in Brooklyn
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn as Bette Altmann
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The Equalizer
The Equalizer as Susan Plummer
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2013
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film as Robin
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Charlie Countryman
Charlie Countryman as Kate
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The Only Real Game
The Only Real Game as Narrator
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Bottled Up
Bottled Up as Fay
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Olympus Has Fallen
Olympus Has Fallen as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
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Prisoners
Prisoners as Holly Jones
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Oblivion
Oblivion as Sally
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2012
Why Stop Now?
Why Stop Now? as Penny
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Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best
Francine
Francine as Francine
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2011
The Sea Is All I Know
The Sea Is All I Know as Sara
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Red State
Red State as Sara
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Seven Days in Utopia
Seven Days in Utopia as Lily
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The Space Between
The Space Between as Montine
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Mildred Pierce
Mildred Pierce as Lucy Gessler
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2010
The Dry Land
The Dry Land as Martha
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Welcome to the Rileys
Welcome to the Rileys as Lois Riley
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The Fighter
The Fighter as Alice Ward
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Conviction
Conviction as Nancy Taylor
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Treme
Treme as Toni Bernette
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2009
Dear Lemon Lima
Dear Lemon Lima as Mrs. Howard
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Everybody's Fine
Everybody's Fine as Colleen
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According to Greta
According to Greta as Karen
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Veronika Decides to Die
Veronika Decides to Die as Mari
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True Adolescents
True Adolescents as Sharon Mitchell
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Don McKay
Don McKay as Marie
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Stephanie's Image
Stephanie's Image as Stephanie
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2008
Frozen River
Frozen River as Ray Eddy
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The Alphabet Killer
The Alphabet Killer as Kathy Walsh
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Lullaby
Lullaby as Stephanie
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Santa Mesa
Santa Mesa as Maggie
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Righteous Kill
Righteous Kill as Cheryl
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2007
Racing Daylight
Racing Daylight as Sadie / Anna
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One Night
One Night as Wendy
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Midnight Son
Midnight Son as Rita
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Mr. Woodcock
Mr. Woodcock as Sally Jansen
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Dear Lemon Lima
Dear Lemon Lima as Mrs. Howard
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Black Irish
Black Irish as Margaret McKay
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I Believe in America
I Believe in America as Soto
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The Cake Eaters
The Cake Eaters as Ceci Kimbrough
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Hollywood Dreams
Hollywood Dreams as Aunt Bee
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Stephanie Daley
Stephanie Daley as Miri Daley
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Cold Case
Cold Case as Tayna Raymes (1994 & 2007)
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2006
The House Is Burning
The House Is Burning as Mrs. Miller
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The Limbo Room
The Limbo Room as KC Collins
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Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds as Sheriff Georgia Davis
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2005
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
Confess
Confess as Agnes Lessor
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Runaway
Runaway as Lisa Adler
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Hide and Seek
Hide and Seek as Laura
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2004
From Other Worlds
From Other Worlds as Miriam
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Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars as Julia Smith
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Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Maureen Curtis
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2003
21 Grams
21 Grams as Marianne Jordan
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2001
Law & Order
Law & Order as Sherri Quinn
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2000
Fear of Fiction
Fear of Fiction as Sigrid Anderssen
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1999
The 24 Hour Woman
The 24 Hour Woman as Dr. Suzanne Pincus
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Code of Ethics
Code of Ethics as Jo DeAngelo
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1995
Last Summer in the Hamptons
Last Summer in the Hamptons as Trish Axelrod
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In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice
In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice as Carol Manning
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1994
Scarlett
Scarlett
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1993
The Ballad of Little Jo
The Ballad of Little Jo as Beatrice Grey
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Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street as Kay Howard
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1992
Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception as Hannah
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Venice/Venice
Venice/Venice as Peggy
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1991
Carolina Skeletons
Carolina Skeletons as Cassie
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1990
The Bride in Black
The Bride in Black as Mary Margaret
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1989
Nasty Boys
Nasty Boys as Katie Morrissey
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The Young Riders
The Young Riders as Emma Shannon
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1988
A Time of Destiny
A Time of Destiny as Josie Larraneta
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Miami Vice
Miami Vice
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1986
Deadtime Stories
Deadtime Stories as Judith 'MaMa' Baer
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1985
Always
Always as Peggy
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Streetwalkin'
Streetwalkin' as Cookie
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Silent Witness
Silent Witness as Patti Mullen
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The Equalizer
The Equalizer as Irina Dzershinsky
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2022
Bonnie
Bonnie
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2015
She's the Best Thing in It