Acting credits
130
Prolific
Very extensive acting filmography.
Actor
Melissa Leo
Acting
Career Snapshot
ExplainedThese indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.
TMDB popularity
1.6
Low visibility
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Movies: 105Series: 25Crew credits: 2
TMDB ID: 6832
IMDb ID: nm0502425
Known for: Acting
Born: September 14, 1960
Age: 65
Place of birth: Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Gender: Female
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1984 - 2025
Years active: 42
Average TMDB rating: 6.45
Wikidata: Q229410
Also known as
Margaret May • Melissa Chessington Leo • ملیسا لیو
Other jobs
Producer (2)
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).
Photos
Movies
Movies
Movie credits linked with Melissa Leo.
7.0
The Knife
as Detective Carlsen
2025 Movie
6.5
Guns Up
as Michael Temple
2025 Movie
6.9
King Ivory
as Ginger Greene
2025 Movie
AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence
2024 Movie
5.5
Long Gone Heroes
as Olivia
2024 Movie
5.5
The Clean Up Crew
as Siobhan
2024 Movie
7.3
The Equalizer 3
as Susan Plummer
2023 Movie
5.3
Bonnie
as Self
2022 Movie
5.4
Jane
as Principal Rhodes
2022 Movie
5.1
Alone Together
as Deborah
2022 Movie
4.6
Coast
as Olivia
2022 Movie
4.6
Measure of Revenge
as Lillian
2022 Movie
5.7
Ida Red
as Ida ‘Red’ Walker
2021 Movie
5.5
Thunder Force
as Allie
2021 Movie
6.1
Body Brokers
as Dr. White
2021 Movie
5.6
Unlovable
as Maddie
2018 Movie
6.8
The Equalizer 2
as Susan Plummer
2018 Movie
5.4
The Parting Glass
as Al
2018 Movie
Mabel, Mabel Tiger Trainer
as Narrator
2018 Movie
5.7
Furlough
as Joan Anderson
2018 Movie
5.6
The Ashram
as Chandra
2018 Movie
6.4
Novitiate
as Reverend Mother
2017 Movie
6.0
The View from Up Here
as Claire
2017 Movie
6.2
The Most Hated Woman in America
as Madalyn Murray O'Hair
2017 Movie
Series
Series
Series credits linked with Melissa Leo.
7.6
I Know This Much Is True
as Concettina Ipolita Tempesta 'Ma' Birdsey • 6 eps
2020 Series
6.7
Dolly Parton's Heartstrings
as Amelia Meegers • 1 eps
2019 Series
6.4
I'm Dying Up Here
as Goldie • 20 eps
2017 Series
6.9
Wayward Pines
as Nurse Pam • 11 eps
2015 Series
8.5
BoJack Horseman
as Ma Nguyen (voice) • 2 eps
2014 Series
7.1
Broad City
as Lori • 1 eps
2014 Series
5.7
The Arsenio Hall Show
as Self • 1 eps
2013 Series
7.0
Mildred Pierce
as Lucy Gessler • 5 eps
2011 Series
7.6
Treme
1 eps
2010 Series
6.7
Shark
as Elizabeth Rourke • 1 eps
2006 Series
8.3
Criminal Minds
as Sheriff Georgia Davis • 1 eps
2005 Series
7.8
Veronica Mars
as Julia Smith • 1 eps
2004 Series
7.6
The L Word
as Winnie Mann • 3 eps
2004 Series
7.8
Cold Case
as Tayna Raymes (1994 & 2007) • 1 eps
2003 Series
7.6
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
as Maureen Curtis • 1 eps
2001 Series
7.6
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
as Sybil Perez • 1 eps
2000 Series
8.0
Legacy
2 eps
1998 Series
6.5
Scarlett
as Suellen O'Hara Benteen • 2 eps
1994 Series
8.1
Homicide: Life on the Street
as Kay Howard • 77 eps
1993 Series
7.3
Law & Order
as Donna Cheponis • 1 eps
1990 Series
5.5
Nasty Boys
as Katie Morrissey • 2 eps
1989 Series
7.3
The Young Riders
as Emma Shannon • 24 eps
1989 Series
6.7
Spenser: For Hire
1 eps
1985 Series
7.1
The Equalizer
as Irina Dzershinsky • 1 eps
1985 Series