Melissa Leo

Melissa Chessington Leo ( born September 14, 1960 in New York City ) is an American actress. Since the mid- 1980s she has appeared in over 80 film and television productions, mostly dramas. For her supporting role in the feature film The Fighter (2010) she won awards including the Academy Award and Golden Globe.

Life and career

Melissa Leo studied at the State University of New York, but she did not complete her studies. She made her debut in an episode of the television series All My Children from 1984. Appearance for this in 1985 she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy. In the film drama Forever and ever (1985 ) she played one of the major roles. In the thriller Streetwalkin ' - On the streets of Manhattan ( 1985), she took a starring role.

From 1993 to 1997 Leo played the role of police detective Kay Howard on the television series Homicide. She played the same role in the resulting means of the serial TV movie Homicide: The Movie ( 2000). As a member of the ensemble film drama 21 Grams (2003) with Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio Del Toro and Charlotte Gainsbourg, she received the 2004 Phoenix Film Critics Society Award. Their role in the Western Three Burials - The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones brought her together with some other participants, the Western Heritage Award. In the film drama Frozen River ( 2008), which was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, she played the lead role. The part of a single mother who is out of cash strapped to Menschenschmugglerin on the American- Canadian border, brought her in 2008 at the Spanish Festival Internacional de Cine de Donostia- San Sebastián, together with the French Tsilla Chelton ( Pandoranin kutusu ) the price of the a best Actress, as well as her first Oscar nomination. Again praise from critics brought her the appearance of a domineering mother in David O. Russell's Boxer drama The Fighter ( 2010). For this supporting role Leo won awards including the Prize of the Film Critics Association of New York, the Oscar and the Golden Globe.

Leo was romantically involved with her fellow actors John Heard. From the relationship went a son.

Filmography (selection)

Awards (selection)

  • Academy Awards 2008: nominated for Frozen River
  • 2011: Best Supporting Actress for The Fighter
  • 2011: Best Supporting Actress for The Fighter
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