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Melissa Leo: Biography, Facts and Career

Who is Melissa Leo? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team4 min read✓ Fact-checked
Melissa Leo
sagindie from Hollywood, USA via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Melissa Chessington Leo (born September 14, 1960) 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. After appearing on several television shows and films in the 1980s, Leo became a regular on the television shows All My Children, for which she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award, and The Young Riders. Her breakthrough role came in 1993 as detective and later sergeant Kay Howard on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1997). Leo received critical acclaim for her performance as Ray Eddy in the 2008 film Frozen River, earning her several nominations and awards, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In 2010, Leo won several awards for her performance as Alice Eklund-Ward in the film The Fighter, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2013, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for her guest role on the television series Louie. She starred in the 2015 Fox event series Wayward Pines as Nurse Pam. She then starred in the 2017 Netflix film The Most Hated Woman in America as American Atheists founder Madalyn Murray O'Hair.

Quick facts about Melissa Leo

  • Full name: Melissa Leo
  • Born: 1960-09-14
  • Nationality: United States
  • Known as: Actor
  • Wikidata ID: Q229410

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Melissa Leo?

Melissa Chessington Leo (born September 14, 1960) is an American actress.

What nationality is Melissa Leo?

Melissa Leo is United States.

When was Melissa Leo born?

Melissa Leo was born on 1960-09-14.

Sources

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