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).
Guns Up
Michael
2025
King Ivory
Ginger Greene
2025
AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence
2024
Long Gone Heroes
Olivia
2024
The Clean Up Crew
Siobhan
2024
The Knife
Detective Carlsen
2024
The Equalizer 3
Susan Plummer
2023
Bonnie
Self
2022
Jane
Principal Rhodes
2022
Alone Together
Deborah
2022
Coast
Olivia
2022
Measure of Revenge
Lillian
2022
Ida Red
Ida ‘Red’ Walker
2021
Thunder Force
Allie
2021
Body Brokers
Dr. White
2021
Passenger
Ron Forever
Hilda
I Know This Much Is True
Concettina Ipolita Tempesta 'Ma' Birdsey · (6 episodes)
2020
Dolly Parton's Heartstrings
Amelia Meegers · (1 episode)
2019
Unlovable
Maddie
2018
The Equalizer 2
Susan Plummer
2018
The Parting Glass
Al
2018
Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer
Narrator
2018
Furlough
Joan Anderson
2018
The Ashram
Chandra
2018
The View from Up Here
2017
Novitiate
Reverend Mother
2017
I'm Dying Up Here
Goldie · (20 episodes)
2017
The Most Hated Woman in America
Madalyn Murray O'Hair
2017
Snowden
Laura Poitras
2016
All the Way
Lady Bird Johnson
2016
Burn Country
Gloria
2016
London Has Fallen
Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
2016
The Big Short
Georgia Hale
2015
Damnation: The Flashback
Noda Marra
2015
After the Spill
Narrator
2015
The Butterfly, The Harp, and The Timepiece
Papillon
2015
Wayward Pines
Nurse Pam · (11 episodes)
2015
She's The Best Thing in It
Self
2015
The Ever After
Penny
2015
The Equalizer
Susan Plummer
2014
BoJack Horseman
Ma Nguyen (voice) · (2 episodes)
2014
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn
Bette Altmann
2014
Dwegons and Leprechauns
Grandma Fitz / Butterfly McDweg / Mrs. Fitzgerald
2014
Broad City
Lori · (1 episode)
2014
Prisoners
Holly Jones
2013
The Arsenio Hall Show
Self · (1 episode)
2013
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy
Narrator (voice)
2013
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
Robin
2013
Bottled Up
Fay
2013
Oblivion
Sally
2013
Olympus Has Fallen
Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
2013
Charlie Countryman
Kate
2013
Flight
Ellen Block
2012
Francine
Francine
2012
Why Stop Now?
Penny
2012
The Space Between
Montine
2011
Seven Days in Utopia
Lily
2011
Red State
Sara
2011
The Sea Is All I Know
Sara
2011
Mildred Pierce
Lucy Gessler · (5 episodes)
2011
The Fighter
Alice Ward
2010
Queen of the Lot
Aunt Bee
2010
Welcome to the Rileys
Lois Riley
2010
Conviction
Nancy Taylor
2010
The Dry Land
Martha
2010
Treme
(1 episode)
2010
Treme
Toni Bernette · (36 episodes)
2010
Everybody's Fine
Colleen
2009
According to Greta
Karen
2009
Dear Lemon Lima
Mrs. Howard
2009
Veronika Decides to Die
Mari
2009
Don McKay
Marie
2009
True Adolescents
Sharon Mitchell
2009
Stephanie's Image
Stephanie
2009
The Alphabet Killer
Kathy Walsh
2008
Righteous Kill
Cheryl
2008
Frozen River
Ray Eddy
2008
Santa Mesa
Maggie
2008
Lullaby
Stephanie
2008
Black Irish
Margaret McKay
2007
Mr. Woodcock
Sally Jansen
2007
Racing Daylight
Sadie / Anna
2007
I Believe in America
Soto
2007
Hollywood Dreams
Aunt Bee
2007
The Cake Eaters
Ceci Kimbrough
2007
Dear Lemon Lima
Mrs. Howard
2007
Stephanie Daley
Miri Daley
2007
Midnight Son
Rita
2007
Bomb
2007
One Night
Wendy
2007
The House Is Burning
Mrs. Miller
2006
Shark
(1 episode)
2006
The Limbo Room
KC Collins
2006
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
Rachel
2005
Criminal Minds
Sheriff Georgia Davis · (1 episode)
2005
American Gun
Louise
2005
Runaway
Lisa Adler
2005
Hide and Seek
Laura
2005
Confess
Agnes Lessor
2005
From Other Worlds
Miriam
2004
Veronica Mars
Julia Smith · (1 episode)
2004
The L Word
Winnie Mann · (3 episodes)
2004
Cold Case
Tayna Raymes (1994 & 2007) · (1 episode)
2003
21 Grams
Marianne Jordan
2003
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Maureen Curtis · (1 episode)
2001
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Sybil Perez · (1 episode)
2000
Fear of Fiction
Sigrid Anderssen
2000
Homicide: The Movie
Kay Howard
2000
Code of Ethics
Jo DeAngelo
1999
The 24 Hour Woman
Dr. Suzanne Pincus
1999
Legacy
(2 episodes)
1998
Who Is Henry Jaglom?
Self
1997
Last Summer in the Hamptons
Trish Axelrod
1995
In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice
Carol Manning
1995
Scarlett
(4 episodes)
1994
The Ballad of Little Jo
Beatrice Grey
1993
Homicide: Life on the Street
Kay Howard · (77 episodes)
1993
By a Thread
Helen
1992
Immaculate Conception
Hannah
1992
Venice/Venice
Peggy
1992
Carolina Skeletons
Cassie
1991
The Bride in Black
Mary Margaret
1990
Law & Order
Donna Cheponis · (1 episode)
1990
Law & Order
Defense Attorney Alice Sutton · (1 episode)
1990
Law & Order
Sherri Quinn · (1 episode)
1990
Nasty Boys
Katie Morrissey
1989
Nasty Boys
Katie Morrissey · (2 episodes)
1989
The Young Riders
Emma Shannon · (24 episodes)
1989
A Time of Destiny
Josie Larraneta
1988
Deadtime Stories
Judith 'MaMa' Baer
1986
Silent Witness
Patti Mullen
1985
Always … But Not Forever
Peggy
1985
Streetwalkin'
Cookie
1985
Spenser: For Hire
(1 episode)
1985
The Equalizer
Irina Dzershinsky · (1 episode)
1985
Miami Vice
(1 episode)
1984
I'm Only There...
Maggie
1984