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Melissa Leo

Melissa Leo

54 movies on Netflix

Biography

Melissa Leo is an American actress who began with the Bread and Puppet Theater Company while still young and later studied acting in London and at SUNY Purchase, leaving before graduating to audition in New York City. She made her screen debut in 1984 and soon earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for the soap opera All My Children. From 1993 to 1997 she played Kay Howard, a detective who rose to sergeant, on Homicide: Life on the Street, reprising the part in the television film Homicide: The Movie. A breakthrough came with 21 Grams, and critics praised her as Ray Eddy in Frozen River (2008), a performance that brought an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as Alice Eklund-Ward in The Fighter (2010), later took a Primetime Emmy for a guest role on Louie, and played Ruth McMillan in Olympus Has Fallen (2013).

66years old

Turns 67 on September 14in 337 days

  • Born Manhattan
  • Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
  • Melissa Chessington Leo (birth name)

Movie Career

Films
54
Career span
41 years1985 to 2026

Genres

First and latest

Photos

  • Melissa Leo, photo 1 of 3
  • Melissa Leo, photo 2 of 3
  • Melissa Leo, photo 3 of 3

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  1. First role

    As a child, Melissa Leo performed with the Bread and Puppet Theater Company, which is where her acting career began.

  2. Early training

    Leo studied acting at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London and SUNY Purchase, but left before graduating to move to New York City and audition.

  3. Big break

    Leo returned to acting after a brief hiatus, and three years later she landed her breakthrough role in Alejandro González Iñárritu's 21 Grams, a film that drew critical acclaim. She played a supporting part alongside Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio del Toro and Clea DuVall.

  4. Behind the award

    Before her win, Leo stirred controversy by trying to self-promote her Oscar campaign instead of relying on the studio's marketing department. She bought ad space in Hollywood trade publications herself.

Melissa Leo movies on Netflix

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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  1. The Fighter2010 Biography, Drama, Sportas Alice Ward

    IMDb rating 7.8411K votes

  2. Prisoners2013 Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thrilleras Holly Jones

    IMDb rating 8.2959K votes

  3. Oblivion2013as Sally

    IMDb rating 7.0591K votes

  4. The Big Short2015as Georgia Hale

    IMDb rating 7.8548K votes

  5. Snowden2016as Laura Poitras

    IMDb rating 7.3175K votes

  6. The Equalizer2014as Susan Plummer

    IMDb rating 7.3473K votes

  7. 21 Grams2003as Marianne Jordan

    IMDb rating 7.6254K votes

  8. London Has Fallen2016as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan

    IMDb rating 5.9182K votes

Most often with

John Swab directed four of these films, Antoine Fuqua three and Suzi Yoonessi two. Eight actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Robert De Niro, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Robert De NiroMorgan Freeman, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Morgan FreemanFrank Grillo, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Frank GrilloDenzel Washington, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Denzel WashingtonSlaine, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with SlaineBen Hall, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Ben HallJohn SwabDirector, 4 filmsSee the 4 films by John SwabAntoine FuquaDirector, 3 filmsSee the 3 films by Antoine FuquaSuzi YoonessiDirector, 2 filmsSee the 2 films by Suzi Yoonessi

Films together

Box office

What Melissa Leo's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$2.0 billion

32 of the 54 films have a worldwide figure.

Of the 54 films: 32 worldwide figure; 6 us gross only; 6 never in cinemas; 1 streaming, short cinema run; 9 figure not found.

  • 32Worldwide figure
  • 6US gross only
  • 6Never in cinemas
  • 1Streaming, short cinema run
  • 9Figure not found

Top grosser

Oblivion2013as Sally$286 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 73% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

  1. 1
    Oblivion2013as Sally
    $286M14.2% of the total
  2. 2
    London Has Fallen2016as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
    $206M10.2% of the total
  3. 3
    The Equalizer2014as Susan Plummer
    $192M9.5% of the total
  4. 4
    The Equalizer 22018as Susan Plummer
    $190M9.4% of the total
  5. 5
    Olympus Has Fallen2013as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
    $170M8.4% of the total
  6. 6
    Flight2012as Ellen Block
    $162M8.0% of the total
  7. 7
    The Big Short2015as Georgia Hale
    $133M6.6% of the total
  8. 8
    The Fighter2010as Alice Ward
    $129M6.4% of the total
Hide and Seek (2005), $127 millionPrisoners (2013), $122 millionRighteous Kill (2008), $79.5 million21 Grams (2003), $60.4 millionSnowden (2016), $37.4 millionMr. Woodcock (2007), $33.7 millionPassenger (2026), $31.6 millionEverybody's Fine (2009), $16.4 millionThe Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005), $12.0 millionConviction (2010), $11.8 millionFrozen River (2008), $5.5 millionDeadtime Stories (1986), $2.8 millionVeronika Decides to Die (2009), $1.7 millionRed State (2011), $1.1 millionThe Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014), $615,198Novitiate (2017), $580,346

$546 millionfrom the other 24 films with a worldwide figure, 27% of the total

Awards

Three awards and honors from 2011 to 2013, three of them major.

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Melissa Leo's awards and nominations, grouped by award
YearAwardFilmResult
Academy Awards
2011Best Supporting ActressThe FighterWon
Golden Globes
2011Best Supporting Actress – Motion PictureThe FighterWon
Emmy Awards
2013Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy SeriesLouieWon

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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