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Monday, February 28, 2011
Actress Melissa Leo's true grit leads to Oscar
When she was unceremoniously dumped from "Homicide" at the end of its fifth season, Ms. Leo said collateral damage from her then-messy personal life and the flinty realness of her Kay Howard character marked her as damaged goods on a show belatedly striving for higher ratings.
Unable to find a steady network gig after "Homicide," Ms. Leo entered what she described to Ms. Gross as a career dry spell. She reprised her role as Kay Howard in "Homicide: The Movie" in 2000, but by then she had set her eye on the big screen, where the perception of being a "gritty gal" didn't work against her.
Ms. Leo had a series of small roles in small movies, the most memorable in "21 Grams" (2003) until her star turn as an impoverished trailer park mom turned illegal alien smuggler in "Frozen River" (2008).
Ms. Leo got her first taste of major industry respect that year when she was nominated for more than a dozen awards, including the Oscar for best actress in "Frozen River."
"Homicide" creator David Simon took a second look at the actress NBC fired in 1997 and hired her to play ACLU lawyer Toni Bernette in HBO's post-Katrina drama, "Treme."
When Ms. Leo signed on to play Alice Ward, the mother of boxers Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and Dicky Eklund (Christopher Bale), she became the spark that ignited "The Fighter" whenever she was on screen. Despite being only a decade older than Mr. Wahlberg, Ms. Leo learned enough from observing the real Alice Ward to make her role as his mother work.
On Sunday, Ms. Leo capped an extraordinary year by winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "The Fighter."
Having cleaned up more than half the regional critics' honors already, she was, justifiably, the front-runner. Still, hearing her name called on Hollywood's most prestigious night was not the kind of industry respect Ms. Leo was used to.
A self-promotional Oscar campaign in which she took out trade ads had landed her in hot water a few weeks ago. There was some talk that an industry backlash might deny her the coveted award.
Perhaps Ms. Leo was more relieved that the pessimists were wrong about her chances than she was surprised at her win when she uttered the first televised f-bomb in the history of the Oscars during her acceptance speech.
The censors caught it in time, but the happy outburst landed her a spot in Oscars infamy alongside the streaker who interrupted David Niven's speech during the 1974 broadcast.
Calculated or not, Ms. Leo's exuberance provided an otherwise dull show with one of its few genuinely interesting moments.
My affection for Ms. Leo began when I visited the set of "Homicide" in 1996. I interviewed the entire cast, but my time with the actress was particularly memorable.
Unlike the character she played, Ms. Leo had a wicked sense of humor. She was also far more attractive and articulate in person than her laconic character on TV.
Hours after our interview, our paths crossed again on the sound stage. That's when she insisted on taking me to where the cast and crew hung out for lunch. She escorted me around the set like an old friend instead of a nosy fan pretending to be a journalist.
When Colin Firth, 50, won his own Oscar for best actor Sunday, he quipped, "I have a feeling my career just peaked."
Ms. Leo, also 50, probably isn't giving much thought to the "curse" said to befall actresses trying to find meaty roles after they land an Oscar. She has been fortunate enough to never have been a pretty ingenue waiting for the phone to ring, so her hustling will never end.
Instead of peaking, Melissa Leo is just getting started.
Credit : Pittsburgh Post Gazette
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| 'Bethenny Ever After': Good start? Posted: 28 Feb 2011 09:00 PM PST Ken Tucker: Former ''Real Housewives'' star still has gift for quick thinking, rapid-fire punch lines
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| Chuck Lorre: ‘I am so outta here!’ Posted: 28 Feb 2011 09:19 PM PST Two and Half Men showrunner Chuck Lorre has posted a new vanity card on his Web site that runs after tonight's episode of Mike & Molly. In the card he addresses Charlie Sheen's situation for the first time since last week's media ordnance deployment: "I understand that I'm under a lot of pressure to respond 
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| Colo. bill on moviegoer donations moves ahead (AP) Posted: 28 Feb 2011 08:29 PM PST AP - A program to help bring movie shoots to Colorado is a step closer to heading to theaters.
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| Sheen says he wants a raise to return to show Posted: 28 Feb 2011 08:25 PM PST Charlie Sheen says he wants a raise to come back to "Two and a Half Men." He appeared on dueling morning show interviews to continue an attack on CBS, and producers of his hit sitcom for shutting down the show because of his off-set behavior. (Feb. 28)
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| Kirstie Alley, Ralph Macchio among "Dancing" stars (Reuters) Posted: 28 Feb 2011 08:37 PM PST Reuters - A champion boxer, pro wrestler, actress Kirstie Alley and "The Karate Kid" Ralph Macchio were among the celebrities named on Monday to compete in the new season of television contest "Dancing With the Stars."
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| "Big Short" author Lewis sued for defamation (Reuters) Posted: 28 Feb 2011 07:52 PM PST Reuters - Michael Lewis, best-selling author of "The Big Short" about the mortgage meltdown, has been sued for defamation by an asset manager featured in the book.
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| Kirstie Alley, Ralph Macchio among "Dancing" stars - Reuters Posted: 28 Feb 2011 08:46 PM PST
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| Tim Burton Is Close To Directing 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'. - Comic Book Movie Posted: 28 Feb 2011 07:56 PM PST
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| Charlie Sheen: No One From the Show Has Tried to Call Me But Mel Gibson Did! Posted: 28 Feb 2011 08:07 PM PST Charlie Sheen says no one from CBS or Warner Bros. has tried to contact him since production on Two and a Half Men was shut down. "I would urge [CBS President] Les [Moonves] or [Warner Bros. TV President] Bruce [Rosenblum]or Chuck Lorre to call in," he said on Piers Morgan Tonight Monday evening. (They did not.) Should John Stamos replace Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men? Sheen also said he hadn't heard from any of his fellow cast members since production halted. "I don't feel like there is any real...
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| ‘CSI’ scoop: Marg Helgenberger wants to do only ‘a few episodes’ next season Posted: 28 Feb 2011 07:52 PM PST This should come as some relief to CSI fans: Though Marg Helgenberger's contract on the CBS procedural expires at the end of this season, the actress is expected to return to the show in some capacity next fall. Here's the rub, though: It doesn't sound like she'll play Catherine Willows for an entire season. The 
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| Charlie Sheen on CNN: Your take? Posted: 28 Feb 2011 09:00 PM PST Ken Tucker: ''Two and a Half Men'' star quick, funny, complicated in live interview with Piers Morgan
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| Sugar Ray Leonard to hoof it on 'Dancing' series (AP) Posted: 28 Feb 2011 07:40 PM PST
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| Tim Burton, Josh Brolin hot for "Hunchback" (Reuters) Posted: 28 Feb 2011 06:50 PM PST Reuters - Tim Burton and Josh Brolin are teaming up to bring "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" to the big screen.
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| Well, at least Canadian viewers liked the Oscars (Reuters) Posted: 28 Feb 2011 06:43 PM PST Reuters - While U.S. ratings for Sunday's widely panned Oscars telecast plunged nearly 10 percent, Canadian viewership was fairly steady for a ceremony dubbed "boring" by a local broadcaster.
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| Posted: 28 Feb 2011 07:14 PM PST LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- A wild talk show host, a grown-up '80s teen icon and an ex-Playboy Playmate have all joined the cast for Season 12 of "Dancing with the Stars."
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| Kirstie Alley, Kendra Wilkinson Among the New DWTS Cast Posted: 28 Feb 2011 07:02 PM PST Find out who else will be competing on the Dancing With the Stars' upcoming twelfth season
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