Melissa Leo

Melissa Leo

🎂 14th September 1960 (65 yrs) 📍 Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Known For

Prisoners

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).

Melissa Leo

Movies Featuring Melissa Leo

Passenger

Passenger (2026)

The Knife

The Knife (2025)

as Detective Carlsen
Guns Up

Guns Up (2025)

as Michael Temple
King Ivory

King Ivory (2025)

as Ginger Greene
AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence

AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence (2024)

The Clean Up Crew

The Clean Up Crew (2024)

as Siobhan
Long Gone Heroes

Long Gone Heroes (2024)

as Olivia
The Equalizer 3

The Equalizer 3 (2023)

as Susan Plummer
Bonnie

Bonnie (2022)

as Self
Jane

Jane (2022)

as Principal Rhodes
Alone Together

Alone Together (2022)

as Deborah
Coast

Coast (2022)

as Olivia
Measure of Revenge

Measure of Revenge (2022)

as Lillian
Ida Red

Ida Red (2021)

as Ida ‘Red’ Walker
Thunder Force

Thunder Force (2021)

as Allie
Body Brokers

Body Brokers (2021)

as Dr. White
Unlovable

Unlovable (2018)

as Maddie
The Equalizer 2

The Equalizer 2 (2018)

as Susan Plummer
The Parting Glass

The Parting Glass (2018)

as Al
Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer

Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer (2018)

as Narrator
Furlough

Furlough (2018)

as Joan Anderson
The Ashram

The Ashram (2018)

as Chandra
The View from Up Here

The View from Up Here (2017)

as Claire
Novitiate

Novitiate (2017)

as Reverend Mother
The Most Hated Woman in America

The Most Hated Woman in America (2017)

as Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Snowden

Snowden (2016)

as Laura Poitras
All the Way

All the Way (2016)

as Lady Bird Johnson
Burn Country

Burn Country (2016)

as Gloria
London Has Fallen

London Has Fallen (2016)

as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
The Big Short

The Big Short (2015)

as Georgia Hale
No Image

Damnation: The Flashback (2015)

as Noda Marra
After the Spill

After the Spill (2015)

as Narrator
The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece

The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece (2015)

as Papillon
She's The Best Thing in It

She's The Best Thing in It (2015)

as Self
The Ever After

The Ever After (2015)

as Penny
The Equalizer

The Equalizer (2014)

as Susan Plummer
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014)

as Bette Altmann
Dwegons and Leprechauns

Dwegons and Leprechauns (2014)

as Grandma Fitz / Butterfly McDweg / Mrs. Fitzgerald
Prisoners

Prisoners (2013)

as Holly Jones
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy

Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy (2013)

as Self - Narrator (voice)
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film (2013)

as Robin
Bottled Up

Bottled Up (2013)

as Fay
Oblivion

Oblivion (2013)

as Sally
Olympus Has Fallen

Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
Charlie Countryman

Charlie Countryman (2013)

as Kate
Francine

Francine (2012)

as Francine
Why Stop Now?

Why Stop Now? (2012)

as Penny
Flight

Flight (2012)

as Ellen Block
The Space Between

The Space Between (2011)

as Montine
Seven Days in Utopia

Seven Days in Utopia (2011)

as Lily
Red State

Red State (2011)

as Sara
The Sea Is All I Know

The Sea Is All I Know (2011)

as Sara
The Fighter

The Fighter (2010)

as Alice Ward
Queen of the Lot

Queen of the Lot (2010)

as Aunt Bee
Welcome to the Rileys

Welcome to the Rileys (2010)

as Lois Riley
Conviction

Conviction (2010)

as Nancy Taylor
The Dry Land

The Dry Land (2010)

as Martha
Everybody's Fine

Everybody's Fine (2009)

as Colleen
According to Greta

According to Greta (2009)

as Karen
Dear Lemon Lima

Dear Lemon Lima (2009)

as Mrs. Howard
Veronika Decides to Die

Veronika Decides to Die (2009)

as Mari
Don McKay

Don McKay (2009)

as Marie
True Adolescents

True Adolescents (2009)

as Sharon Mitchell
Stephanie's Image

Stephanie's Image (2009)

as Stephanie
The Alphabet Killer

The Alphabet Killer (2008)

as Kathy Walsh
Righteous Kill

Righteous Kill (2008)

as Cheryl
Frozen River

Frozen River (2008)

as Ray Eddy
Santa Mesa

Santa Mesa (2008)

as Maggie
Lullaby

Lullaby (2008)

as Stephanie
Black Irish

Black Irish (2007)

as Margaret McKay
Mr. Woodcock

Mr. Woodcock (2007)

as Sally Jansen
Racing Daylight

Racing Daylight (2007)

as Sadie / Anna
I Believe in America

I Believe in America (2007)

as Soto
Hollywood Dreams

Hollywood Dreams (2007)

as Aunt Bee
The Cake Eaters

The Cake Eaters (2007)

as Ceci Kimbrough
Dear Lemon Lima

Dear Lemon Lima (2007)

as Mrs. Howard
Stephanie Daley

Stephanie Daley (2007)

as Miri Daley
Midnight Son

Midnight Son (2007)

as Rita
No Image

Bomb (2007)

No Image

One Night (2007)

as Wendy
The House Is Burning

The House Is Burning (2006)

as Mrs. Miller
The Limbo Room

The Limbo Room (2006)

as KC Collins
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)

as Rachel
Confess

Confess (2005)

as Agnes Lessor
American Gun

American Gun (2005)

as Louise
Runaway

Runaway (2005)

as Lisa Adler
Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek (2005)

as Laura
From Other Worlds

From Other Worlds (2004)

as Miriam
21 Grams

21 Grams (2003)

as Marianne Jordan
Fear of Fiction

Fear of Fiction (2000)

as Sigrid Anderssen
Homicide: The Movie

Homicide: The Movie (2000)

as Kay Howard
Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics (1999)

as Jo DeAngelo
The 24 Hour Woman

The 24 Hour Woman (1999)

as Dr. Suzanne Pincus
Who Is Henry Jaglom?

Who Is Henry Jaglom? (1997)

as Self
Last Summer in the Hamptons

Last Summer in the Hamptons (1995)

as Trish Axelrod
In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice

In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice (1995)

as Carol Manning
The Ballad of Little Jo

The Ballad of Little Jo (1993)

as Beatrice Grey
By a Thread

By a Thread (1992)

as Helen
Immaculate Conception

Immaculate Conception (1992)

as Hannah
Venice/Venice

Venice/Venice (1992)

as Peggy
Carolina Skeletons

Carolina Skeletons (1991)

as Cassie
The Bride in Black

The Bride in Black (1990)

as Mary Margaret
Nasty Boys

Nasty Boys (1989)

as Katie Morrissey
A Time of Destiny

A Time of Destiny (1988)

as Josie Larraneta
Deadtime Stories

Deadtime Stories (1986)

as Judith 'MaMa' Baer
Silent Witness

Silent Witness (1985)

as Patti Mullen
Always … But Not Forever

Always … But Not Forever (1985)

as Peggy
Streetwalkin'

Streetwalkin' (1985)

as Cookie
I'm Only There...

I'm Only There... (1984)

as Maggie
Ron Forever

Ron Forever (N/A)

as Hilda
No Image

The Rooster Prince (N/A)

as Elaine