Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

140

Gender

Female

Birthday

1960-09-14 (65 years old)

Place of Birth

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Also Known As

Margaret May

Melissa Chessington Leo

ملیسا لیو

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

21 Grams

21 Grams

Lullaby

Lullaby

Conviction

Conviction

The Fighter

The Fighter

Prisoners

Prisoners

King Ivory

King Ivory

The Equalizer 3

The Equalizer 3

The Equalizer

The Equalizer

Snowden

Snowden

The Big Short

The Big Short

Acting

21 Grams

2003

21 Grams

as

Marianne Jordan

Frozen River

2008

Frozen River

as

Ray Eddy

Hide and Seek

2005

Hide and Seek

as

Laura

Bonnie

2022

Bonnie

as

Self

Homicide: The Movie

2000

Homicide: The Movie

as

Kay Howard

Welcome to the Rileys

2010

Welcome to the Rileys

as

Lois Riley

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

2005

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

as

Rachel

Measure of Revenge

2022

Measure of Revenge

as

Lillian

Lullaby

2008

Lullaby

as

Stephanie

The House Is Burning

2006

The House Is Burning

as

Mrs. Miller

Veronika Decides to Die

2009

Veronika Decides to Die

as

Mari

According to Greta

2009

According to Greta

as

Karen

Everybody's Fine

2009

Everybody's Fine

as

Colleen

Black Irish

2007

Black Irish

as

Margaret McKay

Righteous Kill

2008

Righteous Kill

as

Cheryl

Coast

2022

Coast

as

Olivia

Don McKay

2009

Don McKay

as

Marie

Runaway

2005

Runaway

as

Lisa Adler

Charlie Countryman

2013

Charlie Countryman

as

Kate

American Gun

2005

American Gun

as

Louise

Conviction

2010

Conviction

as

Nancy Taylor

The Dry Land

2010

The Dry Land

as

Martha

The Fighter

2010

The Fighter

as

Alice Ward

Deadtime Stories

1986

Deadtime Stories

as

Judith 'MaMa' Baer

Confess

2005

Confess

as

Agnes Lessor

Queen of the Lot

2010

Queen of the Lot

as

Aunt Bee

Red State

2011

Red State

as

Sara

Dear Lemon Lima

2009

Dear Lemon Lima

as

Mrs. Howard

Racing Daylight

2007

Racing Daylight

as

Sadie / Anna

The Space Between

2011

The Space Between

as

Montine

Seven Days in Utopia

2011

Seven Days in Utopia

as

Lily

The Ballad of Little Jo

1993

The Ballad of Little Jo

as

Beatrice Grey

Oblivion

2013

Oblivion

as

Sally

Streetwalkin'

1985

Streetwalkin'

as

Cookie

The Sea Is All I Know

2011

The Sea Is All I Know

as

Sara

Francine

2012

Francine

as

Francine

From Other Worlds

2004

From Other Worlds

as

Miriam

Fear of Fiction

2000

Fear of Fiction

as

Sigrid Anderssen

The 24 Hour Woman

1999

The 24 Hour Woman

as

Dr. Suzanne Pincus

Always … But Not Forever

1985

Always … But Not Forever

as

Peggy

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn

2014

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn

as

Bette Altmann

Prisoners

2013

Prisoners

as

Holly Jones

Carolina Skeletons

1991

Carolina Skeletons

as

Cassie

King Ivory

2025

King Ivory

as

Ginger Greene

Olympus Has Fallen

2013

Olympus Has Fallen

as

Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan

Santa Mesa

2008

Santa Mesa

as

Maggie

Why Stop Now?

2012

Why Stop Now?

as

Penny

The Limbo Room

2006

The Limbo Room

as

KC Collins

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

2013

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

as

Robin

I'm Only There...

1984

I'm Only There...

as

Maggie

Last Summer in the Hamptons

1995

Last Summer in the Hamptons

as

Trish Axelrod

Bottled Up

2013

Bottled Up

as

Fay

The View from Up Here

2017

The View from Up Here

as

Claire

The Equalizer 3

2023

The Equalizer 3

as

Susan Plummer

Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy

2013

Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy

as

Self - Narrator (voice)

A Time of Destiny

1988

A Time of Destiny

as

Josie Larraneta

Dwegons and Leprechauns

2014

Dwegons and Leprechauns

as

Grandma Fitz / Butterfly McDweg / Mrs. Fitzgerald

One Night

2007

One Night

as

Wendy

Stephanie's Image

2009

Stephanie's Image

as

Stephanie

Flight

2012

Flight

as

Ellen Block

Stephanie Daley

2007

Stephanie Daley

as

Miri Daley

The Equalizer

2014

The Equalizer

as

Susan Plummer

The Clean Up Crew

2024

The Clean Up Crew

as

Siobhan

London Has Fallen

2016

London Has Fallen

as

Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan

In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice

1995

In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice

as

Carol Manning

Midnight Son

2007

Midnight Son

as

Rita

The Ever After

2015

The Ever After

as

Penny

She's The Best Thing in It

2015

She's The Best Thing in It

as

Self

Nasty Boys

1989

Nasty Boys

as

Katie Morrissey

Burn Country

2016

Burn Country

as

Gloria

Hollywood Dreams

2007

Hollywood Dreams

as

Aunt Bee

Snowden

2016

Snowden

as

Laura Poitras

The Big Short

2015

The Big Short

as

Georgia Hale

Code of Ethics

1999

Code of Ethics

as

Jo DeAngelo

All the Way

2016

All the Way

as

Lady Bird Johnson

Damnation: The Flashback

2015

Damnation: The Flashback

as

Noda Marra

The Cake Eaters

2007

The Cake Eaters

as

Ceci Kimbrough

The Knife

2025

The Knife

as

Detective Carlsen

Long Gone Heroes

2024

Long Gone Heroes

as

Olivia

By a Thread

1992

By a Thread

as

Helen

The Most Hated Woman in America

2017

The Most Hated Woman in America

as

Madalyn Murray O'Hair

Novitiate

2017

Novitiate

as

Reverend Mother

I Believe in America

2007

I Believe in America

as

Soto

The Bride in Black

1990

The Bride in Black

as

Mary Margaret

True Adolescents

2009

True Adolescents

as

Sharon Mitchell

Immaculate Conception

1992

Immaculate Conception

as

Hannah

Venice/Venice

1992

Venice/Venice

as

Peggy

The Ashram

2018

The Ashram

as

Chandra

The Equalizer 2

2018

The Equalizer 2

as

Susan Plummer

Dear Lemon Lima

2007

Dear Lemon Lima

as

Mrs. Howard

Unlovable

2018

Unlovable

as

Maddie

Furlough

2018

Furlough

as

Joan Anderson

After the Spill

2015

After the Spill

as

Narrator

The Parting Glass

2018

The Parting Glass

as

Al

Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer

2018

Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer

as

Narrator

Silent Witness

1985

Silent Witness

as

Patti Mullen

Mr. Woodcock

2007

Mr. Woodcock

as

Sally Jansen

Body Brokers

2021

Body Brokers

as

Dr. White

The Alphabet Killer

2008

The Alphabet Killer

as

Kathy Walsh

The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece

2015

The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece

as

Papillon

Bomb

2007

Bomb

as

Thunder Force

2021

Thunder Force

as

Allie

Ida Red

2021

Ida Red

as

Ida ‘Red’ Walker

Alone Together

2022

Alone Together

as

Deborah

Who Is Henry Jaglom?

1997

Who Is Henry Jaglom?

as

Self

Jane

2022

Jane

as

Principal Rhodes

AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence

2024

AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence

as

Passenger

Passenger

as

Guns Up

2025

Guns Up

as

Michael Temple

Ron Forever

Ron Forever

as

Hilda

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

as

Sybil Perez

Spenser: For Hire

Spenser: For Hire

as

Veronica Mars

Veronica Mars

as

Julia Smith

Shark

Shark

as

Elizabeth Rourke

The Young Riders

The Young Riders

as

Emma Shannon

Miami Vice

Miami Vice

as

Kathleen Gilfords

Cold Case

Cold Case

as

Tayna Raymes (1994 & 2007)

The L Word

The L Word

as

Winnie Mann

Criminal Minds

Criminal Minds

as

Sheriff Georgia Davis

The Equalizer

The Equalizer

as

Irina Dzershinsky

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

as

Maureen Curtis

Legacy

Legacy

as

Nasty Boys

Nasty Boys

as

Katie Morrissey

Treme

Treme

as

Treme

Treme

as

Toni Bernette

Law & Order

Law & Order

as

Donna Cheponis

Mildred Pierce

Mildred Pierce

as

Lucy Gessler

Homicide: Life on the Street

Homicide: Life on the Street

as

Kay Howard

I'm Dying Up Here

I'm Dying Up Here

as

Goldie

Law & Order

Law & Order

as

Defense Attorney Alice Sutton

Broad City

Broad City

as

Lori

Law & Order

Law & Order

as

Sherri Quinn

The Arsenio Hall Show

The Arsenio Hall Show

as

Self

I Know This Much Is True

I Know This Much Is True

as

Concettina Ipolita Tempesta 'Ma' Birdsey

BoJack Horseman

BoJack Horseman

as

Ma Nguyen (voice)

Dolly Parton's Heartstrings

Dolly Parton's Heartstrings

as

Amelia Meegers

Wayward Pines

Wayward Pines

as

Nurse Pam

Scarlett

Scarlett

as

Suellen O'Hara Benteen

Production

Bottled Up

2013

Bottled Up

as

Furlough

2018

Furlough

as

Crew

Directing