Melissa Leo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melissa Leo
Leo at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Born	(1960-09-14) September 14, 1960 (age 64) New York City, U.S.
Education	State University of New York, Purchase
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1984–present
Partner(s)	John Heard (1986-1988)
Children	1
Relatives	Christine Leo Roussel (aunt)

Melissa Chessington Leo (born September 14, 1960) is an American actress. She has won many important awards. These include an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar). She also won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

Melissa Leo started acting in the 1980s. She appeared in TV shows like All My Children. She was even nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her role. Later, she became well-known as Detective Kay Howard. This was on the TV series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1997).

In 2008, Melissa Leo earned great praise for her role in the movie Frozen River. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Then, in 2010, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her part in the film The Fighter. She also won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2013. This was for her guest role on the TV series Louie.

Early Life and Acting Start

Melissa Leo was born in Manhattan, New York City. She grew up in the Lower East Side area. Her mother was a teacher. Her father was an editor and a fisherman. Melissa has an older brother named Erik. Her aunt, Christine Leo Roussel, is an art historian. When her parents divorced, Melissa moved to Vermont with her mother.

Melissa began acting when she was a child. She performed with the Bread and Puppet Theater Company. She went to high school in Vermont. She also studied acting in London and at SUNY Purchase. However, she left college early. She moved to New York City to start auditioning for acting jobs.

Melissa Leo's Acting Career

Melissa Leo's first acting job was in 1984. It was on the TV show All My Children. She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for this role. After that, she appeared in several movies. These included Streetwalkin' and A Time of Destiny.

Her most famous early role was as Detective Sergeant Kay Howard. This was on the TV show Homicide: Life on the Street. She played this role until 1997. She even returned for the TV movie Homicide: The Movie later on.

Breakthrough Roles and Awards

After a short break, Melissa Leo's career really took off. This happened with the 2003 film 21 Grams. She played a supporting role in this movie. She acted alongside famous stars like Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. She won an award for Best Ensemble Acting for this film.

Leo in January 2006

Throughout the 2000s, Melissa Leo took on many supporting roles. These included movies like Hide and Seek and American Gun. In 2006, she won an award for her work in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.

In 2008, she received huge praise for her role in Frozen River. She played a woman facing tough economic times. She won several awards for this role. She was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress. Film critic Roger Ebert said her performance was "complete" and "heroic."

Oscar Win and Later Work

Melissa Leo at the 81st Academy Awards

In 2010, Melissa Leo became even more famous. This was for her role as Alice Eklund-Ward in The Fighter. Critics loved her performance. They said she was amazing as the tough mother. She won many awards for this role. These included the Golden Globe Award, the Screen Actors Guild Award, and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

After her Oscar win, Melissa Leo continued to work a lot. She appeared in the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for this. She also won an Emmy for her guest role on the TV comedy Louie.

Melissa Leo has also appeared in action and thriller films. She played Ruth McMillan, the Secretary of Defense, in Olympus Has Fallen. She returned for the sequel, London Has Fallen. She also had roles in Prisoners and The Equalizer movies. From 2015 to 2016, she starred as Nurse Pam in the TV series Wayward Pines.

Personal Life

In 1987, Melissa Leo had a son with actor John Heard. They dated from 1986 to 1988. For many years, Melissa lived in a 200-year-old farmhouse in New York. She often traveled for work. In 2019, she moved back to Manhattan. She left the city during the COVID-19 pandemic. But she returned in 2023.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage Performances

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Melissa Leo para niños