Early life

Leo was born in Manhattan, New York City, and spent her early life on the Lower East Side. She is the daughter of Margaret (née Chessington), a California-born teacher, and Arnold Leo III, an editor at Grove Press, fisherman, and former spokesman for the East Hampton Baymen's Association. She has one brother, Erik Leo. Her parents divorced, and her mother moved them to Red Clover Commune, in Putney, Vermont. Her maternal grandparents were Frances (née Stone; 1917-2008) and James Chessington, a colonel in the United States Air Force. Her paternal grandparents were Elinore (née Wellington; 1914-2008) and Arnold Leo II. Her uncle was journalist Roger Leo (1947-2011), and her aunt is art historian Christine Leo Roussel.

Leo began performing as a child with the Bread and Puppet Theater Company. She attended Bellow Falls High School in Vermont, and studied acting at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London, and SUNY Purchase, but did not graduate, choosing to leave school and move to New York City to begin auditioning for acting jobs. Leo spent summers at her father's house in Springs, a section of East Hampton, N.Y.

Career

Leo's acting debut came in 1984, for which she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy at the Daytime Emmy Awards/12th Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Ingenue/Woman in a Drama Series for All My Children. Following this, Leo appeared in several films, including the lead role as a strait-laced girl named Cookie who succumbed to prostitition in "Streetwalkin," A Time of Destiny, Last Summer in the Hamptons, and Venice/Venice. She also had several appearances on television, most notably her role as Det. Sgt. Kay Howard on Homicide: Life on the Street until 1997. Three years later she reprised her role in the television movie, Homicide: The Movie. After a brief hiatus from acting, Leo's breakthrough came three years later in the Alejandro González Iñárritu film, 21 Grams released to critical acclaim. Leo appeared in a supporting role alongside Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio del Toro and Clea DuVall. Leo shared a "Best Ensemble Acting" award from the Phoenix Film Critics Society in 2003 and the runner-up for the Los Angeles Film Critics Association for Best Supporting Actress.

Leo appeared in supporting roles throughout the 2000s including the film Hide and Seek, the independent film American Gun, both in 2005, and a minor role in the comedy Mr. Woodcock. In 2006, she won the Bronze Wrangler at the Western Heritage Awards for Outstanding Theatrical Motion Picture for The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada shared with Tommy Lee Jones who also produced the film. In 2008, she won the Maverick Actor Award and also the Best Actress award at the Method Fest for Lullaby (2008).

That same year Leo earned critical praise for her performance in the film Frozen River, winning several including the Best Actress award from the Independent Spirit Awards, the Spotlight award from the National Board of Review and Best Actress nominations from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Broadcast Film Critics Association, and Academy Awards. Critic Roger Ebert backed her for a win, stating, "Best Actress: Melissa Leo. What a complete performance, evoking a woman's life in a time of economic hardship. The most timely of films, but that isn't reason enough. I was struck by how intensely determined she was to make the payments, support her two children, carry on after her abandonment by a gambling husband, and still maintain rules and goals around the house. This was a heroic woman."

Following Frozen River, Leo continued to appear in several independent films and had a minor role in the 2008 film Righteous Kill with Al Pacino and her Hide and Seek co-star, Robert De Niro. Leo appeared in a series of films throughout 2009, including According to Greta, the title character in Stephanie's Image, True Adolescents and Veronika Decides to Die.

In 2010, Leo received fame for her role in David O. Russell's The Fighter. Rick Bentley of The Charlotte Observer said "Both actors (Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale) are very good, but they get blown off the screen by Melissa Leo, who plays their mother, Alice Ward. Leo's Oscar-worthy portrayal of Alice as a master manipulator goes beyond acting to a total transformation." Roger Ebert referred to it as a "teeth-gratingly brilliant performance." Leo and several of the film's actors including her co-star Amy Adams and Bale were nominated. For her performance Leo received several awards, including the Golden Globe, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle, Screen Actors Guild and culminating in her winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. While accepting her Oscar, Leo said "When I watched Kate two years ago, it looked so fucking easy!" She apologized afterwards for using profanity, admitting that it was "a very inappropriate place to use that particular word...those words, I apologize to anyone that they offend."

Prior to her win Leo had created some controversy by attempting to self promote her Oscar campaign rather than rely on the marketing department of the studio. Leo personally bought ad space in Hollywood trade publications which was initially thought might backfire in a similar manner to previous Oscar contenders Chill Wills and Margaret Avery.

Following her Oscar win, Leo appeared in the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce alongside Kate Winslet, Evan Rachel Wood and Guy Pearce. Her performance garnered an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. Her next projects include the satirical horror film Red State, the independent comedy Predisposed with Jesse Eisenberg currently in pre-production and the crime thriller The Dead Circus based on the novel by John Kaye with Michael C. Hall and James Marsden currently in development. She guest-starred in an episode of the hit FX comedy Louie, which garnered her an Emmy win for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

Leo recently appeared in the action-thriller Olympus Has Fallen as the Secretary of Defense who was held hostage by terrorists in the White House and Oblivion as the main antagonist.

Most recently, Leo can be seen in a major role in Prisoners and in a minor role in The Equalizer. Leo can also be seen on the Fox series Wayward Pines as Nurse Pam. She reprise her role as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan in London Has Fallen, the sequel to Olympus Has Fallen.

Personal life

Leo lives in Stone Ridge, New York. She has a son with actor and former boyfriend John Heard named John "Jack" Matthew Heard (born 1987). She also has an older adopted son, filmmaker Adam Davenport, born in 1984.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1985	Always	Peggy
1985	Streetwalkin'	Cookie
1986	Deadtime Stories	Judith "MaMa" Baer
1988	Time of Destiny, AA Time of Destiny	Josie Larraneta
1992	Immaculate Conception	Hannah
1992	Venice/Venice	Peggy
1993	Ballad of Little Jo, TheThe Ballad of Little Jo	Beatrice Grey
1994	Garden	Elizabeth
1995	Last Summer in the Hamptons	Trish
1997	Under the Bridge	Kathy
1999	The 24 Hour Woman	Dr. Suzanne Pincus
1999	Code of Ethics	Jo DeAngelo
2000	Fear of Fiction	Sigrid Anderssen
2003	21 Grams	Marianne Jordan	Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Nominated—Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
2004	First Breath	Detective Waxman
2004	From Other Worlds	Miriam
2005	Hide and Seek	Laura
2005	Runaway	Lisa Adler
2005	No Shoulder	Ruth
2005	Patch	Maelynn
2005	Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, TheThe Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada	Rachel	Bronze Wrangler Award for Outstanding Theatrical Motion Picture
2005	American Gun	Louise
2005	Confess	Agnes Lessor
2006	Stephanie Daley	Miri
2006	The Limbo Room	KC Collins
2006	Hollywood Dreams	Aunt Bee
2006	House is Burning, TheThe House is Burning	Mrs. Miller
2006	Falling Objects	Helga
2007	Bomb	Sharon
2007	Midnight Son	Rita
2007	Black Irish	Margaret McKay
2007	Cake Eaters, TheThe Cake Eaters	Ceci
2007	Racing Daylight	Sadie Stokes/Anna Stokes
2007	I Believe in America	Soto
2007	Mr. Woodcock	Sally Jansen
2007	One Night	Wendy
2008	Frozen River	Ray Eddy	Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead Marrakech International Film Festival Award for Best Actress San Sebastián International Film Festival Award for Best Actress Santa Barbara International Film Festival Virtuoso Award for Best Actress Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Women Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress Nominated—Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated—Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
2008	Alphabet Killer, TheThe Alphabet Killer	Kathy Walsh
2008	Lullaby	Stephanie	Method Fest Independent Film Festival Award for Best Actress
2008	Night of the Living Jews	Jewish Mother zombie	Low budget film
2008	Santa Mesa	Maggie
2008	Ball Don't Lie	Georgia
2008	This is a Story About Ted and Alice	Alice
2008	Righteous Kill	Cheryl Brooks
2008	Predisposed	Penny
2009	According to Greta	Karen
2009	Stephanie's Image	Stephanie
2009	True Adolescents	Sharon
2009	Veronika Decides to Die	Mari
2009	Dear Lemon Lima	Mrs. Howard
2009	Don McKay	Marie
2009	Everybody's Fine	Colleen
2010	Welcome to the Rileys	Mrs. Lois Riley
2010	Dry Land, TheThe Dry Land	Martha
2010	The Space Between	Montine	Best New York Narrative - Special Jury Mention at the Tribeca Film Festival
2010	The Fighter	Alice Eklund-Ward	Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Ensemble Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Capri Award for Best Actress Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Denver Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Iowa Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress New York Film Critics Online for Best Supporting Actress North Texas Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated—Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards for Best Ensemble
2010	Conviction	Nancy Taylor
2011	Red State	Sarah Cooper
2011	The Sea Is All I Know	Sara	California Independent Film Festival Slate Award for Best Actress Rhode Island International Film Festival Grand Prize Award for Best Actress
2012	Flight	Ellen Block
2012	Why Stop Now	Penny Bloom
2013	Olympus Has Fallen	Ruth McMillan
2013	Oblivion	Sally
2013	Lee Daniels' The Butler	Mamie Eisenhower	Scenes deleted
2013	Prisoners	Holly Jones	National Board of Review Award for Best Cast Nominated — San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble Nominated — Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble
2013	Charlie Countryman	Kate Countryman
2014	The Angriest Man in Brooklyn	Bette Altmann
2014	The Equalizer	Susan Plummer
2015	The Big Short	Georgia Hale	National Board of Review Award for Best Cast Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2016	London Has Fallen	Ruth McMillan
2016	Snowden	Laura Poitras	Filming

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1984-1988	All My Children	Linda Warner	Contract cast member (1984-1985) Nominated—Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series (1985)
1985	Silent Witness	Patti Mullen	TV movie
1985	The Equalizer	Irina Dzershinsky	1 episode, "The Defector"
1987	Spenser: For Hire	Mary Hamilton	1 episode, "Mary Hamilton"
1988	Miami Vice	Kathleen Gilfords	1 episode, "Bad Timing"
1989	Gideon Oliver	Rebecca Hecht	1 episode, "Kennonite"
1989-1990	The Young Riders	Emma Shannon	Main cast member season 1: 24 episodes
1989	Nasty Boys	Katie Morrisey	TV
1990	The Bride in Black	Mary Margaret	TV
1991	Carolina Skeletons	Cassie	TV
1993, 2002, 2008	Law & Order	Alice Sutton / Sherri Quinn / Donna Cheponis	3 episodes, "Sweeps", "Who Let the Dogs Out?", and "Personae Non Grata"
1993-1997	Homicide: Life on the Street	Det. Sgt. Kay Howard	Television series, main cast member seasons 1-5: 77 episodes
1994	Scarlett	Suellen O'Hara Benteen	TV mini-series
1995	In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice	Carol Manning	TV
1998	Legacy	Emma Bradford	2 episodes, "Emma" and "The Search Party"
2000	Homicide: The Movie	Det. Sgt. Kay Howard	TV
2004	Veronica Mars	Julia Smith	1 episode, "Meet John Smith"
2004	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Sybil Perez	1 episode, "Harvest"
2005	Law & Order: Criminal Intent	Maureen Curtis	1 episode, "The Good Child"
2005	The L Word	Winnie Mann	3 episodes, "Luminous", "Loyal", and "Lacuna"
2006	Shark	Elizabeth Rourke	1 episode, "Pilot"
2007	Criminal Minds	Georgia Davis	1 episode, "No Way Out"
2007	Cold Case	Tayna Raymes '94-'07	1 episode, "Thrill Kill", 2007
2010-2013	Treme	Toni Bernette	Main cast member: season 1-4
2011	Mildred Pierce	Lucy Gessler	TV mini-series Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
2012	Louie	Laurie	1 episode, "Telling Jokes/Set Up" Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series
2013	Call Me Crazy: A Five Film	Robin	A Lifetime Original Movie Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress - Miniseries or Television Film
2015	Wayward Pines	Nurse Pam Pilcher	10 episodes
2016	Broad City	Lori	Episode: "Co-Op"
2016	All the Way	Lady Bird Johnson	TV movie

[ Source: Wikipedia ]