Melissa 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).

Known For

Law & Order

Law & Order

Law & Order

Criminal Minds

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Cold Case

Miami Vice

All Movies (113)

• Passenger2026 · as Diana
• The Knife2025 · as Detective Carlsen
• Guns Up2025 · as Michael Temple
• King Ivory2025 · as Ginger Greene
• AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence2024
• The Clean Up Crew2024 · as Siobhan
• Long Gone Heroes2024 · as Olivia
• The Equalizer 32023 · as Susan Plummer
• Bonnie2022 · as Self
• Jane2022 · as Principal Rhodes
• Alone Together2022 · as Deborah
• Coast2022 · as Olivia
• Measure of Revenge2022 · as Lillian
• Ida Red2021 · as Ida ‘Red’ Walker
• Thunder Force2021 · as Allie
• Body Brokers2021 · as Dr. White
• Unlovable2018 · as Maddie
• The Equalizer 22018 · as Susan Plummer
• The Parting Glass2018 · as Al
• Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer2018 · as Narrator
• Furlough2018 · as Joan Anderson
• The Ashram2018 · as Chandra
• The View from Up Here2017 · as Claire
• Novitiate2017 · as Reverend Mother
• The Most Hated Woman in America2017 · as Madalyn Murray O'Hair
• Snowden2016 · as Laura Poitras
• All the Way2016 · as Lady Bird Johnson
• Burn Country2016 · as Gloria
• London Has Fallen2016 · as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
• The Big Short2015 · as Georgia Hale
• Damnation: The Flashback2015 · as Noda Marra
• After the Spill2015 · as Narrator
• The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece2015 · as Papillon
• She's The Best Thing in It2015 · as Self
• The Ever After2015 · as Penny
• The Equalizer2014 · as Susan Plummer
• The Angriest Man in Brooklyn2014 · as Bette Altmann
• Dwegons and Leprechauns2014 · as Grandma Fitz / Butterfly McDweg / Mrs. Fitzgerald
• Prisoners2013 · as Holly Jones
• Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy2013 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
• Call Me Crazy: A Five Film2013 · as Robin
• Bottled Up2013 · as Fay
• Oblivion2013 · as Sally
• Olympus Has Fallen2013 · as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
• Charlie Countryman2013 · as Kate
• Francine2012 · as Francine
• Why Stop Now?2012 · as Penny
• Flight2012 · as Ellen Block
• The Space Between2011 · as Montine
• Seven Days in Utopia2011 · as Lily
• Red State2011 · as Sara
• The Sea Is All I Know2011 · as Sara
• The Fighter2010 · as Alice Ward
• Queen of the Lot2010 · as Aunt Bee
• Welcome to the Rileys2010 · as Lois Riley
• Conviction2010 · as Nancy Taylor
• The Dry Land2010 · as Martha
• Everybody's Fine2009 · as Colleen
• According to Greta2009 · as Karen
• Dear Lemon Lima2009 · as Mrs. Howard
• Veronika Decides to Die2009 · as Mari
• Don McKay2009 · as Marie
• True Adolescents2009 · as Sharon Mitchell
• Stephanie's Image2009 · as Stephanie
• The Alphabet Killer2008 · as Kathy Walsh
• Righteous Kill2008 · as Cheryl
• Frozen River2008 · as Ray Eddy
• Santa Mesa2008 · as Maggie
• Lullaby2008 · as Stephanie
• Black Irish2007 · as Margaret McKay
• Mr. Woodcock2007 · as Sally Jansen
• Racing Daylight2007 · as Sadie / Anna
• I Believe in America2007 · as Soto
• Hollywood Dreams2007 · as Aunt Bee
• The Cake Eaters2007 · as Ceci Kimbrough
• Dear Lemon Lima2007 · as Mrs. Howard
• Stephanie Daley2007 · as Miri Daley
• Midnight Son2007 · as Rita
• Bomb2007
• One Night2007 · as Wendy
• The House Is Burning2006 · as Mrs. Miller
• The Limbo Room2006 · as KC Collins
• The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada2005 · as Rachel
• Confess2005 · as Agnes Lessor
• American Gun2005 · as Louise
• Runaway2005 · as Lisa Adler
• Hide and Seek2005 · as Laura
• From Other Worlds2004 · as Miriam
• 21 Grams2003 · as Marianne Jordan
• Fear of Fiction2000 · as Sigrid Anderssen
• Homicide: The Movie2000 · as Kay Howard
• Code of Ethics1999 · as Jo DeAngelo
• The 24 Hour Woman1999 · as Dr. Suzanne Pincus
• Who Is Henry Jaglom?1997 · as Self
• Last Summer in the Hamptons1995 · as Trish Axelrod
• In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice1995 · as Carol Manning
• Garden1995 · as Elizabeth
• The Ballad of Little Jo1993 · as Beatrice Grey
• By a Thread1992 · as Helen
• Immaculate Conception1992 · as Hannah
• Venice/Venice1992 · as Peggy
• Carolina Skeletons1991 · as Cassie
• The Bride in Black1990 · as Mary Margaret
• Nasty Boys1989 · as Katie Morrissey
• A Time of Destiny1988 · as Josie Larraneta
• Deadtime Stories1986 · as Judith 'MaMa' Baer
• Silent Witness1985 · as Patti Mullen
• Always … But Not Forever1985 · as Peggy
• Streetwalkin'1985 · as Cookie
• I'm Only There...1984 · as Maggie
• Ron Forever— · as Hilda
• The Rooster Prince— · as Elaine
• The Mannequin—

All TV Shows (26)

• I Know This Much Is True2020 · as Concettina Ipolita Tempesta 'Ma' Birdsey
• Dolly Parton's Heartstrings2019 · as Amelia Meegers
• I'm Dying Up Here2017 · as Goldie
• Wayward Pines2015 · as Nurse Pam
• BoJack Horseman2014 · as Ma Nguyen (voice)
• Broad City2014 · as Lori
• The Arsenio Hall Show2013 · as Self
• Mildred Pierce2011 · as Lucy Gessler
• Treme2010 · as Toni Bernette
• Shark2006 · as Elizabeth Rourke
• Criminal Minds2005 · as Sheriff Georgia Davis
• Veronica Mars2004 · as Julia Smith
• The L Word2004 · as Winnie Mann
• Cold Case2003 · as Tayna Raymes (1994 & 2007)
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent2001 · as Maureen Curtis
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation2000 · as Sybil Perez
• Legacy1998
• Scarlett1994 · as Suellen O'Hara Benteen
• Homicide: Life on the Street1993 · as Kay Howard
• Law & Order1990 · as Donna Cheponis
• Law & Order1990 · as Defense Attorney Alice Sutton
• Law & Order1990 · as Sherri Quinn
• The Young Riders1989 · as Emma Shannon
• Spenser: For Hire1985
• The Equalizer1985 · as Irina Dzershinsky
• Miami Vice1984 · as Kathleen Gilfords