Melissa Leo
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).
Acted in
King Ivory
2024
as Ginger Greene
Long Gone Heroes
2024
as Olivia
The Clean Up Crew
2024
as Siobhan
The Knife
2024
as Detective Carlsen
The Equalizer 3
2023
as Susan Plummer
Bonnie
2022
as Self
Jane
2022
as Principal Rhodes
Alone Together
2022
as Deborah
Coast
2022
as Olivia
Measure of Revenge
2022
as Lillian
Ida Red
2021
as Ida ‘Red’ Walker
Thunder Force
2021
as Allie
Body Brokers
2021
as Dr. White
I Know This Much Is True
2020
as Concettina Ipolita Tempesta 'Ma' Birdsey
Dolly Parton's Heartstrings
2019
as Amelia Meegers
Unlovable
2018
as Maddie
The Equalizer 2
2018
as Susan Plummer
The Parting Glass
2018
as Al
Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer
2018
as Narrator
Furlough
2018
as Joan Anderson
The Ashram
2018
as Chandra
The View from Up Here
2017
Novitiate
2017
as Reverend Mother
I'm Dying Up Here
2017
as Goldie
The Most Hated Woman in America
2017
as Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Snowden
2016
as Laura Poitras
All the Way
2016
as Lady Bird Johnson
Burn Country
2016
as Gloria
London Has Fallen
2016
as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
The Big Short
2015
as Georgia Hale
Damnation: The Flashback
2015
as Noda Marra
After the Spill
2015
as Narrator
The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece
2015
as Papillon
Wayward Pines
2015
as Nurse Pam
She's The Best Thing in It
2015
as Self
The Ever After
2015
as Penny
The Equalizer
2014
as Susan Plummer
BoJack Horseman
2014
as Ma Nguyen (voice)
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn
2014
as Bette Altmann
Dwegons and Leprechauns
2014
as Grandma Fitz / Butterfly McDweg / Mrs. Fitzgerald
Broad City
2014
as Lori
Prisoners
2013
as Holly Jones
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy
2013
as Narrator (voice)
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
2013
as Robin
Bottled Up
2013
as Fay
Oblivion
2013
as Sally
Olympus Has Fallen
2013
as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
Charlie Countryman
2013
as Kate
Flight
2012
as Ellen Block
Francine
2012
as Francine
Why Stop Now?
2012
as Penny
The Space Between
2011
as Montine
Seven Days in Utopia
2011
as Lily
Red State
2011
as Sara
The Sea Is All I Know
2011
as Sara
Mildred Pierce
2011
as Lucy Gessler
The Fighter
2010
as Alice Ward
Queen of the Lot
2010
as Aunt Bee
Welcome to the Rileys
2010
as Lois Riley
Conviction
2010
as Nancy Taylor
The Dry Land
2010
as Martha
Treme
2010
Treme
2010
as Toni Bernette
Everybody's Fine
2009
as Colleen
According to Greta
2009
as Karen
Dear Lemon Lima
2009
as Mrs. Howard
Veronika Decides to Die
2009
as Mari
Don McKay
2009
as Marie
True Adolescents
2009
as Sharon Mitchell
Stephanie's Image
2009
as Stephanie
The Alphabet Killer
2008
as Kathy Walsh
Righteous Kill
2008
as Cheryl
Frozen River
2008
as Ray Eddy
Santa Mesa
2008
as Maggie
Lullaby
2008
as Stephanie
Black Irish
2007
as Margaret McKay
Mr. Woodcock
2007
as Sally Jansen
Racing Daylight
2007
as Sadie / Anna
I Believe in America
2007
as Soto
Hollywood Dreams
2007
as Aunt Bee
The Cake Eaters
2007
as Ceci Kimbrough
Dear Lemon Lima
2007
as Mrs. Howard
Stephanie Daley
2007
as Miri Daley
Midnight Son
2007
as Rita
Bomb
2007
One Night
2007
as Wendy
The House Is Burning
2006
as Mrs. Miller
Shark
2006
The Limbo Room
2006
as KC Collins
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
2005
as Rachel
Criminal Minds
2005
as Sheriff Georgia Davis
American Gun
2005
as Louise
Runaway
2005
as Lisa Adler
Hide and Seek
2005
as Laura
Confess
2005
as Agnes Lessor
From Other Worlds
2004
as Miriam
Veronica Mars
2004
as Julia Smith
The L Word
2004
as Winnie Mann
Cold Case
2003
as Tayna Raymes (1994 & 2007)
21 Grams
2003
as Marianne Jordan
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2001
as Maureen Curtis
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
as Sybil Perez
Fear of Fiction
2000
as Sigrid Anderssen
Homicide: The Movie
2000
as Kay Howard
Code of Ethics
1999
as Jo DeAngelo
The 24 Hour Woman
1999
as Dr. Suzanne Pincus
Legacy
1998
Who Is Henry Jaglom?
1997
as Self
Last Summer in the Hamptons
1995
as Trish Axelrod
In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice
1995
as Carol Manning
Scarlett
1994
The Ballad of Little Jo
1993
as Beatrice Grey
Homicide: Life on the Street
1993
as Kay Howard
By a Thread
1992
as Helen
Immaculate Conception
1992
as Hannah
Venice/Venice
1992
as Peggy
Carolina Skeletons
1991
as Cassie
The Bride in Black
1990
as Mary Margaret
Law & Order
1990
as Donna Cheponis
Law & Order
1990
as Defense Attorney Alice Sutton
Law & Order
1990
as Sherri Quinn
Nasty Boys
1989
as Katie Morrissey
Nasty Boys
1989
as Katie Morrissey
The Young Riders
1989
as Emma Shannon
A Time of Destiny
1988
as Josie Larraneta
Deadtime Stories
1986
as Judith 'MaMa' Baer
Silent Witness
1985
as Patti Mullen
Always … But Not Forever
1985
as Peggy
Streetwalkin'
1985
as Cookie
Spenser: For Hire
1985
The Equalizer
1985
as Irina Dzershinsky
Miami Vice
1984
I'm Only There...
1984
as Maggie
