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).
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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 (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
7.3
2
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 (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 (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 (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 (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
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014)
Comedy
Drama
Henry Altmann receives devastating news: a brain aneurysm will claim his life in ninety minutes. The chronically furious widower embarks on a frantic odyssey through Brooklyn, determined to reconcile with...
Score
5.6
8
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
9
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
10
Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
Action
Thriller
A disgraced Secret Service agent becomes the last line of defense when terrorists breach the White House and take the President hostage. Trapped inside the building with his intimate knowledge...
Score
6.4
11
Charlie Countryman (2013)
Action
Comedy
Drama
An idealistic American travels to Bucharest and becomes instantly besotted with a talented cellist grieving her father's recent death. What begins as romantic infatuation spirals into dangerous territory when he...
Score
6.4
12
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
13
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
14
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
15
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
16
Frozen River (2008)
Crime
Drama
Ray Eddy's husband vanishes, leaving her scrambling to keep a roof over her family's heads. In upstate New York, she finds an unlikely partner in Lila, a Mohawk woman navigating...
Score
6.6
17
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
18
21 Grams (2003)
Crime
Drama
Thriller
A dying mathematician, a grieving mother, and a reformed convict collide in the aftermath of a catastrophic accident. Iñárritu weaves their fractured narratives into a haunting exploration of guilt, redemption,...
Score
7.3
Melissa Leo TV Shows
Browse the ultimate list of Melissa Leo TV shows. Find top-rated television series, critically acclaimed dramas, and hit shows starring Melissa Leo.
1
Mildred Pierce (2011)
Drama
During the Depression, a working-class mother transforms herself from abandoned housewife to restaurateur, driven by an impossible desire to win her daughter's affection. As Mildred builds her business and navigates...
Score
7.0
2
Treme (2010)
Drama
A New Orleans neighborhood becomes ground zero for cultural resurrection after Katrina's devastation. Musicians play through the wreckage, chefs reclaim their kitchens, Mardi Gras Indians reclaim their traditions, and ordinary...
Score
7.6
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 20 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.