Melissa Leo

Melissa Leo

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).

Show More

Melissa Leo Movies

Discover the best Melissa Leo movies. Explore the complete filmography, including top-rated classics, newest releases, and highest-grossing films starring Melissa Leo ranked by year and score.

1
Passenger

Passenger (2026)

Horror
A young couple living out of their van stumbles onto a horrific highway crash, and from that moment something rides with them. The presence, known only as the Passenger, has...
Score 6.2
2
The Equalizer 3

The Equalizer 3 (2023)

Action Crime Thriller
Robert McCall has finally found something close to peace, nursing his wounds in a sun-baked village on the southern Italian coast. The locals take him in, and for once, belonging...
Score 7.3
3
The Equalizer 2

The Equalizer 2 (2018)

Action Crime Thriller
Robert McCall has quietly built a life around helping strangers, the overlooked and the wronged, find a measure of justice. But when someone murders the one person he considered a...
Score 6.8
4
Snowden

Snowden (2016)

Crime Drama History
Oliver Stone traces Edward Snowden's transformation from idealistic intelligence contractor to whistleblower, following his decision to expose the NSA's vast surveillance programs. The film charts his evolution within the security...
Score 7.1
5
The Big Short

The Big Short (2015)

Comedy Drama
When a handful of outsiders noticed the cracks running through America's housing market years before anyone else, they did something almost no one thought possible: they bet against the banks...
Score 7.4
6
The Equalizer

The Equalizer (2014)

Action Crime Thriller
Robert McCall has rebuilt himself from scratch, settling into the comfortable rhythms of a Boston hardware store and late-night diner visits with a book. That quiet life cracks the moment...
Score 7.3
7
Prisoners

Prisoners (2013)

Crime Drama Thriller
When two little girls vanish on Thanksgiving afternoon, the quiet suburban street they grew up on becomes the center of a desperate search. Keller Dover, a father who prides himself...
Score 8.1
8
Oblivion

Oblivion (2013)

Action Adventure Mystery
Jack Harper spends his days fixing drones above a ravaged, post-war Earth, counting down the hours until his tour of duty ends. The planet below is supposed to be empty....
Score 6.7
9
Flight

Flight (2012)

Drama
Whip Whitaker is, by any measure, a hero. When a catastrophic mechanical failure sends his commercial jet into freefall, he inverts the plane and somehow brings it down with most...
Score 6.9
10
Seven Days in Utopia

Seven Days in Utopia (2011)

Drama
Luke Chisholm had everything mapped out until one catastrophic round at his professional debut unraveled it all. Stranded in the tiny Texas town of Utopia, he stumbles into the company...
Score 5.7
11
The Fighter

The Fighter (2010)

Drama
Micky Ward grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts, watching his half-brother Dicky navigate the boxing world before addiction pulled him under. When Dicky resurfaces years later, clean and determined, he sees...
Score 7.4
12
Righteous Kill

Righteous Kill (2008)

Crime Mystery Thriller
Two seasoned NYPD detectives, partners for decades, find a new homicide pulling at the threads of an old conviction they were certain about. Someone is leaving bodies across the city,...
Score 5.9
13
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)

Adventure Crime Drama
A Texas border patrolman's careless act of violence shatters an unlikely friendship and sets off a strange pilgrimage across the desert. Pete Perkins, a weathered rancher, takes justice into his...
Score 7.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-rated movies starring Melissa Leo? +
According to aggregate user scores, the absolute best titles starring Melissa Leo are Passenger, The Equalizer 3, and The Equalizer 2.
How many movies and TV shows has Melissa Leo starred in? +
Our database currently features a comprehensive filmography of 13 titles starring Melissa Leo, ranging from their earliest roles to the newest releases.
Are the movies starring Melissa Leo worth watching? +
Yes! The overall filmography starring Melissa Leo maintains a strong average user rating of 6.9 out of 10 across all tracked titles.