Academy Award winning actress Melissa Leo, aged 55, to play Lady Bird Johnson in HBO biopic

Oscar winning actress Melissa Leo, aged 55, is all set to appear alongside actor Bryan Cranston in HBO TV movie “All the Way”. She will be playing the role of 36th American President Lyndon B. Johnson’s wife and then First Lady, Claudia Alta Taylor aka Lady Bird. The Breaking Bad star, Bryan Cranston will also be reprising his role as the aforementioned President from his hit Broadway play of the same name.

Melissa Leo received her first Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Female and several other major awards for her performance as Alice Eklund-Ward in 2010 movie The Fighter. Several media outlets have confirmed the news about her being part of the upcoming TV movie project. Leo is sure to rock the role of First Lady Claudia Alta Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson in the project.

The filming of the television drama film has already begun and it is set to air on HBO next year. The film is the screen adaptation of the Broadway play of the same name. The character of Lady Bird was portrayed by Betsy Aidem in Robert Schenkkan’s Broadway play. The stage production of ‘All the Way’ became a sensational hit, broke all previous box office records and was dubbed the most money making play in a single week for a straight play. For his role actor, Cranston won Tony award.

Leo and Cranston will be joined by actor Anthony Mackie, who will be playing the iconic role of Martin Luther King Jr. Jay Roach will be handling the seat of the director with the story of Robert Schenkkan.

The movie will dealing with foul mouthed President Johnson’s first year in the White House and his fight for the Civil Rights Act. A talented actress, Leo will be showcasing her acting power as Lady Bird Johnson, who was the first lady to bring in a new era for women.

Melissa’s role as the Lady Bird is sure to be an iconic one. She is one of the most suitable actresses for such a challenging and great role. Her fans have high hopes from the award winning actress and we all know that she won’t be disappointing any of her fans.

Leo has been known for her versatility and hard work and has been always been fan favorite. She usually likes to take challenging roles, but no matter how difficult it may seem, this talented lady always gives her best shot. Most of her roles have garnered rave reviews from critics.

Though she started her TV and big screen career in the 1980s, she only got recognition through her role as Det. Sgt. Kay Howard on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street in 1993. After that, there was no turning back for her.

She has also appeared on the television shows All My Children and The Young Riders. She has received positive criticism and an Oscar nod for her performance as Ray Eddy in the film Frozen River. She has also been nominated for Daytime Emmy Award for her performance on All My Children and won an Emmy Award for her guest-role on the television series Louie. So, we hope that her performance as Lady Bird will also garner her similar praise and maybe even a few awards.

Melissa lives in Stone Ridge, New York with her two sons; one from her former boyfriend John Heard and another adopted. She is active on Twitter.