Melissa Leo
Date of birth: 1960-09-14
Place of birth: Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Known for: Acting
Also known as: Margaret May, Melissa Chessington Leo, ملیسا لیو
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).
Movie Credits
21 Grams
2003-09-06
Paul Rivers, an ailing mathematician lovelessly married to an English émigré; Christina Peck, an upp
Frozen River
2008-03-26
After her husband deserts her, working-class mother Ray Eddy is in great need of money to find a hom
Hide and Seek
2005-01-27
David Callaway tries to piece together his life in the wake of his wife's suicide and has been left
Bonnie
2022-11-12
A portrait of casting director Bonnie Timmermann.
Homicide: The Movie
2000-02-13
Retired police lieutenant Al Giardello is running for mayor when he is suddenly shot at a press conf
Welcome to the Rileys
2010-10-29
Years after their teenage daughter’s death, Lois and Doug Riley, an upstanding Indiana couple, are f
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
2005-11-17
When brash Texas border officer Mike Norton wrongfully kills and buries the friend and ranch hand of
Lullaby
2008-02-24
An American mother receives word that her drug addled son has been kidnapped by a drug lord operatin
Measure of Revenge
2022-03-18
Theater actress Lillian Cooper's son dies mysteriously. When the investigating officer rules the cau
The House Is Burning
2006-11-16
One day. One night. A group of teenagers struggles to find their way in a world that offers them few
Veronika Decides to Die
2009-05-16
After a frantic suicide attempt, Veronika awakens inside a mysterious mental asylum. Under the super
According to Greta
2009-11-25
Dumped on her grandparents for the summer by her indifferent mother, acerbic and self-destructive te
Everybody's Fine
2009-12-04
Eight months after the death of his wife, Frank Goode looks forward to a reunion with his four adult
Black Irish
2007-10-26
In South Boston, where Irish roots run deep and Catholic tradition reigns, two brothers face similar
Righteous Kill
2008-09-11
Two veteran New York City detectives work to identify the possible connection between a recent murde
Coast
2022-04-08
Desperate to escape the trappings of her small coastal farming town, 16-year-old Abby falls for the
Don McKay
2009-04-24
Everything appears off-kilter when a man returns to his hometown after 25 years to visit his former
Runaway
2005-04-26
Michael Adler has run away from his suburban home with his little brother Dylan. Hiding out in a qui
Charlie Countryman
2013-02-09
A young American falls hard for a Romanian cellist whose father has recently died -- and whose viole
American Gun
2005-09-15
Seemingly disparate portraits of people -- among them a single mother, a high school principal, and
Conviction
2010-10-15
When Betty Anne Waters' older brother Kenny is arrested for murder and sentenced to life in 1983, Be
The Dry Land
2010-07-30
A U.S. soldier returning home from war struggles to reconcile his experiences abroad with the life a
The Fighter
2010-12-10
Boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His Rocky-like rise
Deadtime Stories
1986-04-13
A babysitting uncle tells his charges three horror stories: about a killer witch; Little Red Riding
Confess
2005-10-21
A young ex-hacker, disgruntled with his life, lashes back at those deemed responsible, uploading unf
Queen of the Lot
2010-11-19
An electronic ankle bracelet and being under house arrest aren't about to stop up-and-coming actress
Red State
2011-08-19
Set in Middle America, a group of teens receive an online invitation for sex, though they soon encou
Dear Lemon Lima
2009-10-23
After being dumped by Philip, her one true love, the infatuated Nessa enrolls at his private school
Racing Daylight
2007-07-31
RACING DAYLIGHT is a spooky murder mystery as well as a supernatural love story that transcends time
The Space Between
2011-09-11
Montine McLeod, a world-weary flight attendant, and Omar Hassan, a prematurely wise 10-year-old Paka
Seven Days in Utopia
2011-09-02
Talent can only get you so far. For golfer Luke Chisholm, that turns out to be Utopia, Texas -- wher
The Ballad of Little Jo
1993-08-20
After being thrown out of her home, a young woman decides to disguise herself as a man to survive th
Oblivion
2013-04-10
Jack Harper is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation t
Streetwalkin'
1985-09-20
Cookie is a teen runaway who escapes her abusive stepfather and heads for the Big Apple with her you
The Sea Is All I Know
2011-06-24
When an estranged couple come to the aid of their dying daughter, the experience sends them spiralin
Francine
2012-09-12
Francine is released from prison and settles down in a small town. She is unable to regain a foothol
From Other Worlds
2004-10-29
FROM OTHER WORLDS is a sci-fi comedy about a depressed Brooklyn housewife who sleepwalks through her
Fear of Fiction
2000-07-13
This road movie explores the nature of the bond between twins by focusing on a love affair between a
The 24 Hour Woman
1999-01-29
Grace tries to be the perfect mother and TV producer but finds trouble in juggling both.
Always … But Not Forever
1985-10-04
A middle-aged couple, on the verge of proceeding with a divorce, find themselves questioning their d
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn
2014-05-23
After learning that a brain aneurysm will kill him in about 90 minutes, a perpetually unhappy man st
Prisoners
2013-09-19
Keller Dover is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing,
Carolina Skeletons
1991-09-30
After a long time in the army, an Afro-American soldier returns to his hometown, where, years ago, h
King Ivory
2025-05-08
Based on extensive research involving law enforcement and gang members, a never-before-seen, authent
Olympus Has Fallen
2013-03-20
When the White House (Secret Service Code: "Olympus") is captured by a terrorist mastermind and the
Santa Mesa
2008-03-15
Following his mother's death, Hector arrives in Manila to live with his grandmother. Unable to speak
Why Stop Now?
2012-08-17
When a college piano prodigy tries to check his mother into rehab, he is taken hostage by her drug d
The Limbo Room
2006-01-23
When an on stage rape scene sparks an offstage affair, the line between reality and fiction becomes
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
2013-04-20
A psychotherapist helps a law student cope with schizophrenia in one of five interconnected tales de
I'm Only There...
1984-06-19
Rare short film starring Oscar winner Melissa Leo in her first screen role, written and directed by
Last Summer in the Hamptons
1995-11-22
Helena Mora, the head of an eccentric theatrical family, has decided to sell her large estate in the
Bottled Up
2013-04-19
A solitary woman (Melissa Leo) earning her living by delivering mail and body piercing, makes every
The View from Up Here
2017-10-27
Claire and Lila are neighbours. They both live in the same building, they see each other every day b
The Equalizer 3
2023-08-30
Robert McCall finds himself at home in Southern Italy but he discovers his friends are under the con
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy
2013-06-19
Revisits President John F. Kennedy's presidential legacy through 21 of the more than 800,000 condole
A Time of Destiny
1988-04-22
World War II provides the setting for a melodramatic tale of love and revenge.
Dwegons and Leprechauns
2014-01-24
Family inherits an old house and to their surprise, finds the home filled with wonderful colorful cr
Stephanie's Image
2009-02-25
A documentary filmmaker investigates the murder of a former model and finds that everything she's be
One Night
2007-01-01
Fifteen New Yorkers go into a Friday night unaware of the fact that their lives are about to change.
Flight
2012-02-22
Commercial airline pilot Whip Whitaker has a problem with drugs and alcohol, though so far he's mana
Stephanie Daley
2007-04-20
Stephanie collapses in a pool of blood while on a school skiing trip. A doctor discovers that the bl
The Equalizer
2014-09-24
McCall believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new,
The Clean Up Crew
2024-09-12
When a crime scene clean up crew discovers a briefcase full of money, they must out smart a criminal
London Has Fallen
2016-03-02
In London for the Prime Minister's funeral, Mike Banning discovers a plot to assassinate all the att
In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice
1995-10-01
When a state trooper is gunned down on a New Jersey highway, his friend and colleague sets out to tr
Midnight Son
2007-02-02
Mild-mannered professor Edward leaves his wife, Rita, one night to meet a stranger from an Internet
The Ever After
2015-02-13
Ava and Thomas live--to outside eyes--the good life, complete with a child and a lovely home in Los
She's The Best Thing in It
2015-03-16
Mary Louise Wilson is the most accomplished character actor you've never heard of. While teaching sk
Nasty Boys
1989-09-22
When a narcotics team sent to bust some drug dealers are massacred. The police department form a spe
Burn Country
2016-04-16
A former war journalist now writing for a paper in Northern California is drawn into conflict at hom
Hollywood Dreams
2007-05-25
The tale of a young girl fresh off the bus from Iowa, who falls in love with a sexy and promising yo
Snowden
2016-09-15
CIA employee Edward Snowden leaks thousands of classified documents to the press.
The Big Short
2015-12-11
The men who made millions from a global economic meltdown.
Code of Ethics
1999-09-07
The administrator of a medical company is forced to match wits with a serial killer, who targets peo
All the Way
2016-05-23
Lyndon B. Johnson's amazing 11-month journey from taking office after JFK's assassination, through t
Damnation: The Flashback
2015-10-19
In the swinging Appalachian town of Damnation, when the local mortician dies in the arms of 'the oth
The Cake Eaters
2007-04-29
The death of the Kimbrough family matriarch affects the three male survivors of the clan. Widower Ea
The Knife
2025-08-15
All Chris wants is to build a promising future for his wife, Alex, and their two daughters—a young f
Long Gone Heroes
2024-09-12
Gunner, a special forces soldier who has witnessed the darkest side of country and combat, is forced
By a Thread
1992-10-02
Television journalist Quentin Springer has two obsessions: first, he wants to help his schizophrenic
The Most Hated Woman in America
2017-03-24
The true story of Madalyn Murray O'Hair -- iconoclast, opportunist, and outspoken atheist -- from he
Novitiate
2017-10-27
In the early 1960s, during the Vatican II era, a young woman training to become a nun struggles with
I Believe in America
2007-07-02
Three generations of one family, all involved at different levels with the Puerto Rican underground
The Bride in Black
1990-10-21
A Brooklyn widow (Susan Lucci) traces the past of her boxer/sculptor husband (David Soul), gunned do
True Adolescents
2009-03-14
At 34, struggling Seattle musician Sam finds himself broke, jobless and losing touch with the person
Immaculate Conception
1992-09-11
Alistair, a British representative for a wildlife conservation agency based in Karachi and his Jewis
Venice/Venice
1992-04-10
Dean is a maverick American film director surprised that his most recent film has been chosen as the
The Ashram
2018-03-02
After receiving a cryptic message, American skeptic Jamie travels to the Indian Himalayas to pick up
The Equalizer 2
2018-07-19
Robert McCall, who serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed, embarks on a relen
Dear Lemon Lima
2007-04-28
A lonely girl with a vivid imagination struggles to plant seeds of love after her narcissistic sweet
Unlovable
2018-11-01
A sex and love addicted woman learns what real intimacy is when she starts making music with a reclu
Furlough
2018-03-16
In between caring for her mother, a young woman works part time at a prison. The rookie guard gets a
After the Spill
2015-10-04
Ten years ago Hurricane Katrina devastated the coast of Louisiana. Five years later the Deepwater Ho
The Parting Glass
2018-06-24
A family dealing with their sister's death travel across country to collect her belongings and piece
Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer
2018-04-10
A story of the world's first female tiger trainer who claimed her love for her tigers was so great s
Silent Witness
1985-10-14
The marriage of a young working-class woman is jeopardized when she witnesses her brother-in-law's p
Mr. Woodcock
2007-09-14
Taken aback by his mother's wedding announcement, a young man returns home in an effort to stop her
Body Brokers
2021-02-19
Utah and his girlfriend Opal, are drug addicts living on the streets in rural Ohio. After getting re
The Alphabet Killer
2008-11-07
Based on the true story of double killings occurring in Rochester, NY during the 80’s and the troubl
The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece
2015-09-03
In this magic shop, no matter who you are, you get what you need.
Bomb
2007-01-19
What starts as an innocent flirtation between teenagers on the edge of an old bombing range turns as
Thunder Force
2021-04-09
In a world where supervillains are commonplace, two estranged childhood best friends reunite after o
Ida Red
2021-11-05
Ida Red may not survive her 20-year prison sentence for armed robbery. She turns to her son, Wyatt,
Alone Together
2022-07-22
Strangers June and Charlie wind up double-booked in the same upstate New York Airbnb during the star
Who Is Henry Jaglom?
1997-07-08
Hailed by some as a cinematic genius, a feminist voice and a true maverick of American cinema, dismi
Jane
2022-08-26
When Olivia gets deferred from her dream college, she begins to spiral. In an attempt to regain cont
AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence
2024-11-01
Can poetry bring the dead back to life? Follow contemporary poets as they perform and examine the ro
Passenger
A few weeks into their van-life adventure, a young couple witnesses a horrific accident that leaves
Guns Up
2025-05-15
When a job goes horribly wrong, an ex-cop and family man who moonlights as a mob henchman has one ni
Ron Forever
One arrest away from foster care, a ten-year-old with mental superpowers must choose to repeat her m