Melissa Leo
American actress · United States · On the map · Actors · Born 1960 · age 66
Melissa Chessington Leo is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, an Actor Award, and two Critics' Choice Awards.
Melissa Leo is read about 1,713 times a day, in 59 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 6 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 400 days, one point a day.
Something wrong?A life in dates
2026
PassengerFilm, Diana Larson2025
Guns UpFilm, Michael Temple2023
The Equalizer 3Film, Susan Plummer2022
Alone TogetherFilm, Deborah2020
I Know This Much Is TrueSeries, Concettina Ipolita Tempesta 'Ma' Birdsey2019“We are all born with a talent and the sweetest part of life comes to us when we allow ourselves to recognize what is that talent.”In their wordsMelissa speak on talent in 2019.“I understand the value of humor and I do believe laughter is a good medicine.”In their wordsMelissa speak on humor in 2019.2018“I was an extremely fortunate young woman as an actor. I got a job at The Public Theater and I also landed a job on a soap opera.”In their wordsMelissa speak about being an actress in 2018.“Sex addiction can be an inability to really connect with people. It can show up in all kinds of places and it can be masked by drug and alcohol addictions.”In their wordsMelissa speak on latest project "Unlovable" in 2018.
The Equalizer 2Film, 2018Susan Plummer2017“It’s a judgment about the character, and no, you can’t come into the character judging them as you’re playing them.”In their wordsMelissa speak on character in 2017.“The nuns that I grew up around in New York City, they were those activist nuns. They were the nuns who were shot in El Salvador, you know?”In their wordsMelissa talk about activist nuns in 2017.
I'm Dying Up HereSeries, 2017Goldie
NovitiateFilm, 2017Reverend Mother2015
The Big ShortFilm, Georgia Hale2014
BoJack HorsemanSeries, Ma Nguyen (voice)
The Angriest Man in BrooklynFilm, 2014Bette Altmann2013Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy SeriesAward2012
FlightFilm, Ellen Block2011Academy Award for Best Supporting ActressAwardGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion PictureAward
Red StateFilm, 2011Sara2010
TremeSeries, Toni Bernette2009
According to GretaFilm, Karen2008
Frozen RiverFilm, Ray Eddy2005
Criminal MindsSeries, Sheriff Georgia Davis
Hide and SeekFilm, 2005Laura2003
Cold CaseSeries, Tayna Raymes (1994 & 2007)
21 GramsFilm, 2003Marianne Jordan2000
CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationSeries, Sybil Perez1993
Homicide: Life on the StreetSeries, Kay Howard1989
The Young RidersSeries, Emma Shannon1984
Miami ViceSeries, Kathleen Gilfords1960Born14 September 1960
PassengerFilm, Diana Larson2025Guns UpFilm, Michael Temple2023The Equalizer 3Film, Susan Plummer2022Alone TogetherFilm, Deborah2020I Know This Much Is TrueSeries, Concettina Ipolita Tempesta 'Ma' Birdsey2019“We are all born with a talent and the sweetest part of life comes to us when we allow ourselves to recognize what is that talent.”In their wordsMelissa speak on talent in 2019.“I understand the value of humor and I do believe laughter is a good medicine.”In their wordsMelissa speak on humor in 2019.2018“I was an extremely fortunate young woman as an actor. I got a job at The Public Theater and I also landed a job on a soap opera.”In their wordsMelissa speak about being an actress in 2018.“Sex addiction can be an inability to really connect with people. It can show up in all kinds of places and it can be masked by drug and alcohol addictions.”In their wordsMelissa speak on latest project "Unlovable" in 2018.The Equalizer 2Film, 2018Susan Plummer2017“It’s a judgment about the character, and no, you can’t come into the character judging them as you’re playing them.”In their wordsMelissa speak on character in 2017.“The nuns that I grew up around in New York City, they were those activist nuns. They were the nuns who were shot in El Salvador, you know?”In their wordsMelissa talk about activist nuns in 2017.I'm Dying Up HereSeries, 2017GoldieNovitiateFilm, 2017Reverend Mother2015The Big ShortFilm, Georgia Hale2014BoJack HorsemanSeries, Ma Nguyen (voice)The Angriest Man in BrooklynFilm, 2014Bette Altmann2013Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy SeriesAward2012FlightFilm, Ellen Block2011Academy Award for Best Supporting ActressAwardGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion PictureAwardRed StateFilm, 2011Sara2010TremeSeries, Toni Bernette2009According to GretaFilm, Karen2008Frozen RiverFilm, Ray Eddy2005Criminal MindsSeries, Sheriff Georgia DavisHide and SeekFilm, 2005Laura2003Cold CaseSeries, Tayna Raymes (1994 & 2007)21 GramsFilm, 2003Marianne Jordan2000CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationSeries, Sybil Perez1993Homicide: Life on the StreetSeries, Kay Howard1989The Young RidersSeries, Emma Shannon1984Miami ViceSeries, Kathleen Gilfords1960Born14 September 1960People around Melissa
Close ties
Antoine Fuqua Directed The Equalizer and Olympus Has Fallen
Denzel Washington Produced The Equalizer and The Equalizer 2
Steve Tisch Produced The Equalizer and The Equalizer 2
Gerard Butler Produced Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
Henry Jaglom Directed Hollywood Dreams and Venice/Venice
Mace Neufeld Produced The Equalizer and The Equalizer 2
Heather Rae Produced Frozen River and The Dry Land
Robert De Niro Also in Righteous Kill and Hide and Seek
Morgan Freeman Also in Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen
Kevin Smith Directed Red State (2011), also in Veronica Mars
Terrence Howard Also in Prisoners, The Butler and Wayward Pines
Ron Nyswaner Directed Why Stop Now (2012)
Richard Wenk Wrote The Equalizer and The Equalizer 2
Boaz Davidson Produced Righteous Kill (2009)
Avi Lerner Produced Righteous Kill (2009)
Todd Black Produced The Equalizer 2 (2018)
Mark Wahlberg Produced The Fighter (2011)
Albert Berger Produced The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman (2013)
Ron Yerxa Produced The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman (2013)
Robin Williams Also in The Butler (2013)
Brad Pitt Produced The Big Short (2016)
Ridley Scott Produced Welcome to the Rileys (2011)
Tommy Lee Jones Directed The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2007)
Robert Forster Also in Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen
Known for
View all 40 titles
Prisoners 2013
The Big Short 2015
The Fighter 2010
Passenger 2026
The Equalizer 3 2023
Also in Deutsch
Filmography 40
144 credits on file
Television 24
Media & music
Photos 2
In their own words 4
, Melissa Leo
, 4 statements, newest first
I think being a female actor makes it more difficult in exactly the ways that any female on the planet finds the difficulty of our gender.
I think I made a huge mistake, the mistake was that I began to expect," said Leo. "The mistake I made was to expect all those big, important fellas to call me up.
It’s a difficult thing for a woman to say, because I would really like more working women in all kinds of jobs, being a working woman myself.
Awards
About this person
Country
United States
Category
Actors
Type
Actor
Status
Living
Dates
Born 1960 · age 66
