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Melissa LeoAmerican actress
Date of Birth: 14.09.1960
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Melissa Leo
Melissa Chessington Leo, an American actress, is best known for her role as Kay Howard in the popular TV series "Homicide: Life on the Street." She also appeared regularly in the series "All My Children" and "The Young Riders." In terms of her film work, notable movies include the war drama "A Time of Destiny," the film "Last Summer in the Hamptons," the thrillers "21 Grams" and "Blackmail," and the drama "Three Burials."
Early Life and Career
Melissa Chessington Leo was born as Margaret May II on September 14, 1960, in New York City, USA. She is the daughter of Peggy, a teacher, and Arnold Leo, an editor and fisherman. She has a son named John Matthew Heard (born in 1987) from her relationship with actor John Heard.
In 1985, Leo received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her television work in daytime dramas. She was also nominated for Outstanding Ingenue/Woman in a Drama Series at the 12th Daytime Emmy Awards for her role in "All My Children" (1970).
Awards and Recognition
In 2004, Melissa Leo won the Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Cast for her role in the film "21 Grams" (2003), sharing the award with Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Chapman, Teresa Delgado, Clea DuVall, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Danny Huston, Eddie Marsan, Mark Musso, Sean Penn, and Naomi Watts. She was also recognized by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, which nominated Leo for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "21 Grams."
In 2006, Leo won the Bronze Wrangler Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture for her role in the film "Three Burials" (2005), sharing the award with Tommy Lee Jones (the film's producer/actor), Michael Fitzgerald (producer), Luc Besson (producer), Guillermo Arriaga (screenwriter), Barry Pepper (actor), Dwight Yoakam (actor), Julio Cedillo (actor), Levon Helm (actor), January Jones (actress), and Vanessa Bauche (actress).
In 2008, Melissa Leo received the Maverick Actor Award for Best Actress at the Method Fest Independent Film Festival for her performance in the thriller "Lullaby."
Recent Work
In recent years, Melissa Leo has starred in the crime drama "Frozen River," portrayed Katie Walsh in the directorial work of Rob Schmidt "The Alphabet Killer," showcased her talent alongside renowned actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in the crime drama "Righteous Kill," and appeared in the ensemble cast of the film "Greta" with Hilary Duff and Ellen Burstyn.
She has also played the lead role in the drama "Stephanie's Image," worked on the film adaptation of Paulo Coelho's famous novel "Veronika Decides to Die" alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jonathan Tucker, and David Thewlis, and appeared in the new thriller "Don McKay," as well as the comedies "True Adolescents," "Dear Lemon Lima," and the drama "Welcome to the Rileys" directed by Jake Scott.
