Emma Shannon, played by Melissa Leo, was the first care taker of the riders at the way station. Even though she wasn't on the show for very long (only the first season) she was still one of the favorites on the show.

Emma was the true example of a woman living in the era of the Wild West. Although she seemed a little rough around the edges, she always showed how much she cared about the riders. Sometimes the riders thought Emma was a little over-protective, but she only wanted them to learn right from wrong and hopefully in the end make the right decisions as responsible adults. The Pony Express hired orphans, but she made it her clear duty that they wouldn't be orphans as long as she was around. She held a special place in her heart for each rider and understood how each one ticked. She knew their weaknesses as well as their strong points and focused on those when it came to "raising" them. She was the first to pick up on their hidden secrets as well as any mother can and and she went to great lengths to save them as only a mother would do.

Although we didn't have enough time with Emma, there was a lot to her past. She had a very turbulent childhood, and it was hinted in some episodes that when she was a young adult she did some work that she wasn't very proud of. After a while she got married and moved to Sweetwater. Her husband didn't turn out to be the Prince Charming that she thought he was. He was an alcoholic and he mistreated her. She had one child, but she lost him(?) due to a serious illness. Soon afterward, her husband stopped coming home, and eventually, Emma stopped waiting. She was lonely for a while, but then she decided to turn her homestead into a Pony Express station. Now she able to give love and attention to orphans who desperately need guidance in the world. And she did this with much compassion.

She looks after 'her boys' well. She particularly watches Jimmy closely because she sees in him the makings of a man that could end up dead if he wasn't careful with his decisions. She had been around that type of men before and she tries her best to steer Jimmy away from that life. At one point Jimmy expressed his affection for her, but she turned him down. Not only was he too young for her, but she knew that it wouldn't work because Jimmy was too head-strong and although he did take her advice, his life would be that of a gunman. Even she could see that early on.

From the beginning of the series, we see a spark between Emma and Sam, the town marshal, but it will take until the end of the first season for that to come full circle. They had tried to court before, but from Emma's opinion, Sam got bored with it. It just took him a little time to come around. And it seems that sometimes Emma is playing hard-to-get with Sam, but he tries hard to win her affection, and he does. When Emma's husband comes back to reconcile, Emma stands strong for she knows that it would never be the same between them and because her heart is now waiting for Sam.

Emma and Sam got married between the first and second season and they moved to another town when Sam accepted the job as Territorial Marshal. We never heard from them again, but in one or two episodes, we hear the riders mention of them. We know that they had a happy life, because no one was more deserving of it than Emma.

Melissa Leo grew up in New York City and Vermont. When she was still a teenager her mother moved the family to London where she had a new job waiting. When her mother decided to return to the States a year later, Melissa refused to go along. Eventually, she was able to convince her mother to allow her to get her own apartment and enroll in a theatre school. She was only sixteen years old.

Melissa returned to the U.S. on her own a couple of years later to attend college, studying theatre at the State University of New York at Purchase with such alumni as Wesley Snipes and Steven Weber. In her junior year she dropped out so she could return to her hometown of New York City and look for work as an actress.

She found it very quickly, winning a role of the daytime soap opera "All My Children". Her work on this show earned her an Emmy nomination.

After leaving "All My Children" she worked in a series of theatrical and television movies along with various television guest appearances. Some of Melissa's movies include Last Summer In The Hamptons (1995). The Ballad of Little Jo (1993). Immaculate Conception (1992), A Time of Destiny (1988), Always (1985) and many others. She starred in the TV movie "Nasty Boys" with Don Franklin and her TV guest appearances include "Law & Order", "Spencer: For Hire", and "The Equalizer".

In 1989 she was cast as the station keeper Emma Shannon on the television series "The Young Riders". She brought to the role an authenticity that isn't often seen in television Westerns, particularly in female characters. Emma was a moral woman, a very strong woman, a very natural part of the world being portrayed. Like other women of the era, Melissa Leo's characterization showed a certain roughness around the edges that comes from the hard life of living on the edge of civilization, without losing the manners or grace of society. If you are like me, I was really hurt when Melissa "left" the show, but really she was replaced! The producers didn't feel she was 'sexy' enough for their liking. But the role of Emma was never about sex. She played the mother to the boys and it was a job that Melissa liked very much because it allowed her to show her ability as an "authentic actor". She wasn't asked back for the second season and the next thing she knew, "a new woman was serving diner to 'my boys'". A big mistake on the producer's part I feel. It was very devastating to Melissa, but she now had time to pursue work that would benefit her abilities as an actress.

After a year she left the show and went back to working in movies, both television and theatrical releases. Then she was cast in the role for which she has become best know, that of Homicide Detective Kay Howard in the gritty realistic and critically acclaimed series "Homicide: Life On The Streets". Again, she brought an unprecedented authenticity to what had previously been a stereotyped woman's role. As Kay Howard, she is as tough as any man, without compromising herself or her womanhood.

However, after 4 seasons on "Homicide", Melissa did not return for a fifth season. Ironically enough, Melissa did not return for the same reasons she did not return to "The Young Riders" the second season. The producers felt she was not sexy enough for the role of Kay Howard. All I can say is that these "producers" are really losing an amazingly talented actress. But Melissa didn't leave "Homicide" empty handed. She won the "Best Supporting Actess in a Drama Series" award at the 1997 Winger Awards! We wish Melissa good luck with her next acting role, for we know she will be loved and appreciated with whatever she does next!

After that, Melissa pursued other projects. She stared Under The Bridge, Code of Ethics, The 24 Hour Woman, and Fear of Fiction. Melissa then impressed and thrilled her fans when she made a 2-episode appearance in Brett Cullen's series "Legacy" playing a character aptly named Emma, the mother of Jeremy.

In 2000, Melissa returned to "Homicide" in the made for TV Movie of Homicide: The Movie and in 2001 made another appearance in "Law & Order".

Melissa is currently working on a play in the Baltimore area. She lives in New York with her son.

For more information on Melissa, please visit IMDB.com.

Information for this page provided by wCw, Ishani, & Silvia Barlaam
Pictures provided by Wendy & Melissa Leo Tribute Site