Lin Shaye
Lin Shaye (born October 12, 1943) is an American actress. In a career spanning over fifty years, Shaye has appeared in more than a hundred feature films. She is regarded as a scream queen due to her roles in various horror productions, which include the films Alone in the Dark (1982), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Critters (1986) and its sequel Critters 2: The Main Course (1988), Amityville: A New Generation (1993), Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994), Dead End (2003), 2001 Maniacs (2005) and its sequel 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams (2010), Ouija (2014) and its prequel Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), Tales of Halloween (2015), Abattoir (2016), The Final Wish (2018), Room for Rent(2019), The Grudge (2020), Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman (2021), and the Insidious film series (2010–2023). Shaye is also well known for her comedic roles in numerous films by the Farrelly brothers, including Dumb and Dumber (1994), Kingpin (1996), There's Something About Mary (1998), Detroit Rock City (1999), Me, Myself & Irene (2000), Stuck on You (2003), and The Three Stooges (2012). Description above from the Wikipedia article Lin Shaye, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · Common Side Effects as Sonia (voice)
- 2020 · The Call as Edith Cranston
- 2020 · The Horror Crowd as Self
- 2020 · The Voices as The Vagabond
- 2020 · Penny Dreadful: City of Angels as Dottie Minter
- 2018 · Eli Roth's History of Horror as Self
- 2017 · The Black Room as Miss Black
- 2017 · Grow House as Mrs. Gilliam
- 2017 · Mountain Top as Muriel Miller
- 2016 · The Midnight Man as Anna
- 2013 · Insidious: Chapter 2 as Elise Rainier
- 2012 · Life's an Itch as Gloria
- 2012 · 3 Days of Normal as May
- 2011 · Insidious as Elise Rainier
- 2007 · Private Practice as Mrs. Taylor
- 2007 · Chasing Robert as Martha the Bookie
- 2007 · The Election as The Wife
- 2007 · Pledge This! as Miss Prin
- 2006 · Hoboken Hollow as Mrs. Brodrick
- 2005 · Made in Hollywood as Self
- 2005 · My Name Is Earl as Paul's Mom
- 2004 · The Hillside Strangler as Jenny Buono
- 2004 · A Cinderella Story as Mrs. Wells
- 2003 · Barely Legal as Tequlia
- 2001 · Crossing Jordan as Leather Lauren
- 2000 · Me, Myself & Irene as Mrs. Caleron
- 1998 · Becker as Mrs. Cooper
- 1998 · Living Out Loud as Lisa's Nurse
- 1998 · There's Something About Mary as Magda
- 1997 · Trading Favors as Darla
- 1996 · Last Man Standing as The Madame
- 1996 · Kingpin as Landlady
- 1996 · Project: ALF as Waitress
- 1995 · Nature of the Beast as Carol Powell
- 1994 · Dumb and Dumber as Mrs. Neugeboren
- 1994 · ER as Margaret
- 1993 · Frasier as Anne
- 1992 · Roadside Prophets as Celeste
- 1991 · Critters 3 as Sal (archive footage)
- 1989 · Life Goes On as Parent #2
- 1988 · Critters 2 as Sal
- 1987 · The Running Man as Propaganda Officer
- 1987 · Slam Dance as Librarian
- 1986 · Critters as Sally
- 1985 · The Twilight Zone as Kate Simmons (segment "Chameleon")
- 1984 · A Nightmare on Elm Street as Teacher
- 1984 · Who's the Boss? as Mrs. Padnick
- 1984 · Highway to Heaven as Lila Barnes
- 1982 · Cagney & Lacey as Secretary
- 1981 · Falcon Crest as Smoking Female Prisoner
- 1977 · Eight Is Enough as Band Member
- Future · The Possession at Gladstone Manor as Nurse
- 2025 · House of Abraham as
- 2024 · The Last Stand of Ellen Cole as Ellen
- 2023 · Insidious: The Red Door as Elise Rainier
- 2022 · Frank and Penelope as Ophelia
- 2020 · Dreamkatcher as Ruth
- 2019 · The Grudge as Faith Matheson
- 2019 · Gothic Harvest as Griselda
- 2019 · The Final Wish as Kate Hammond
- 2018 · Los Angeles Overnight as Cousins
- 2018 · Insidious: The Last Key as Elise Rainier
- 2016 · Abattoir as Allie
- 2016 · Ouija: Origin of Evil as Old Paulina Zander
- 2016 · Director's Cut as Captain Wheeler
- 2015 · Tales of Halloween as Lynn's Mother
- 2015 · Insidious: Chapter 3 as Elise Rainier
- 2014 · Ouija as Paulina Zander
- 2014 · Lost Time as Mysterious Woman
- 2014 · The Signal as Mirabelle
- 2012 · EastSiders as Diane
- 2012 · Matchmaker Santa as Debbie
- 2012 · Jewtopia as Dr. Sutton
- 2012 · The Three Stooges as Nurse Crotchet
- 2011 · Rosewood Lane as Mrs. Hawthorne
- 2011 · Take Me Home as Jill
- 2011 · Sedona as Claire
- 2010 · Small Town Saturday Night as Phyllis Ryan
- 2010 · Pickin' and Grinnin' as Bonnie Johnson
- 2010 · Killer by Nature as Leona
- 2009 · Dark Moon Rising as Sunny
- 2009 · My Sister's Keeper as Nurse Adele
- 2008 · Killer Pad as Marge
- 2007 · Homo Erectus as Museum Guide
- 2006 · Snakes on a Plane as Grace
- 2005 · 2001 Maniacs as Granny Boone
- 2004 · Cellular as Exotic Car Driver
- 2004 · The Almost Guys as Repo Boss
- 2004 · Who's Your Daddy? as Ms. Harding
- 2003 · Stuck on You as Makeup Babe
- 2003 · Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd as Margie
- 2002 · Boat Trip as Sonya the Coach
- 2002 · Contagion as Laura Crowley
- 1997 · Perversions of Science as Nurse
- 1994 · New Nightmare as Nurse with Pills
- 1994 · My So-Called Life as Parent #2
- 1994 · Corrina, Corrina as Repeat Nanny
- 1993 · National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 as Witness
- 1990 · Book of Love as Mrs. Flynn
- 1985 · Brewster's Millions as Journalist at Rally
- 1984 · Summer Fantasy as Woman on Beach
- 1978 · Goin' South as Parasol Lady
- 1975 · Hester Street as Whore
- Future · Carrier as Joan Pierson
- 2026 · Insidious: The Bleeding World as Elise Rainier
- 2026 · Scared to Death as Max
- 2025 · Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies as Self - (archive footage)
- 2025 · 1000 Women in Horror as Self
- 2022 · Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story as Self
- 2022 · Remote as Kane
- 2022 · We Are Gathered Here Today as Jean Cole
- 2022 · Living with Chucky as Self
- 2022 · Pines as Julie (voice)
- 2021 · Behind the Monsters as Self
- 2021 · Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman as Mrs. Bundy
- 2020 · Max Reload and the Nether Blasters as Mrs. Wylder
- 2020 · Dead Talk Live as Self - Guest
- 2020 · Darkness Falls as Angela Anderson
- 2019 · Ambition as Lady Bum
- 2019 · Get Gone as Mama
- 2019 · Room for Rent as Joyce
- 2018 · Herbert West: Reanimator as Meredith
- 2018 · They Bite!: The Making of Critters as Self
- 2018 · The Main Course: The Making of Critters 2 as Self
- 2017 · All About the Money as Mrs. Womack
- 2017 · Buster's Mal Heart as Pauline
- 2016 · Texas Heart as Mrs. Smith
- 2016 · Jack Goes Home as Teresa
- 2015 · Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves as Helen Keller
- 2015 · Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as The Grand Lady
- 2014 · Grace as Helen
- 2013 · All American Christmas Carol as Barbara Belnap
- 2013 · Big Ass Spider! as Mrs. Jefferson
- 2013 · Crazy Kind of Love as Denise Mack
- 2013 · Noobz as Mrs. Theodore
- 2012 · FDR: American Badass! as Eleanor Roosevelt
- 2012 · Waffle Hut as Jerrie Wolf
- 2011 · Chillerama as Baglady / Nurse Maleva
- 2011 · A Good Old Fashioned Orgy as Dody
- 2011 · I Was a Teenage Werebear as
- 2011 · Goldberg - P.I. as Violet
- 2010 · Farewell Mr. Kringle as Zelda
- 2010 · The Land of the Astronauts as
- 2010 · Next Stop Murder as Detective Reeson
- 2010 · The Accidental Death of Joey by Sue as Mrs. Rawlings
- 2010 · 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams as Granny Boone
- 2010 · Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy as Self
- 2010 · The Penthouse as Frances
- 2010 · VideoDome Rent-O-Rama as The Lush
- 2009 · Stuntmen as Bumble Jackson
- 2009 · American Cowslip as Lou Anne
- 2008 · Doggie Heaven as Woman
- 2008 · Starz Inside: In the Gutter as Self
- 2008 · Chronic Town as Nurse
- 2008 · Asylum as String's Mother
- 2006 · Driftwood as Nancy Forrester
- 2006 · Surf School as Larry's Mom
- 2006 · Surf School as Larry's mom
- 2006 · Down the P.C.H. as Wendy O'Hara
- 2006 · Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror as Clara
- 2006 · Bachelor Party Vegas as Cassandra
- 2006 · Unbeatable Harold as Jeannie
- 2005 · Drop Dead Sexy as Ma Muzzy
- 2005 · Confessions of an Action Star as Samantha Jones
- 2005 · Born Killers as Willow
- 2003 · ManFast as Marge
- 2002 · Wish You Were Dead as Jinny Macintosh
- 1998 · Breakfast with Einstein as Miss Desmond
- Future · The Bench as
- 2005 · Hate Crime as Kathleen Slansky
- 2003 · Dead End as Laura Harrington
- 2001 · A Letter from My Father as Elise
- 2001 · Say It Isn't So as Nurse Bautista
- 2001 · Without Charlie as
- 2000 · Attention Shoppers as Libby
- 1999 · Detroit Rock City as Mrs. Bruce
- 1995 · Trial by Fire as Phyliis Cardell
- 1995 · Sketch Artist II: Hands That See as Bonnie
- 1994 · Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last Chapter as Inmate
- 1994 · Even Cowgirls Get the Blues as Rubber Rose Maid
- 1994 · In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance as Foreman #2
- 1993 · Brain Smasher... A Love Story as Make up Artist
- 1993 · Amityville: A New Generation as Nurse Turner
- 1993 · Three of Hearts as Operator
- 1993 · The Temp as Rosemary
- 1990 · Pump Up the Volume as PTA Parent #3
- 1988 · Lucky Stiff as Bratty Kid's Mom
- 1987 · The Hidden as Carol Miller
- 1987 · Mistress as Woman Customer
- 1987 · Extreme Prejudice as Employment Office Clerk
- 1987 · My Demon Lover as Anemic Counter Girl
- 1987 · Stillwatch as
- 1984 · Why Me? as
- 1982 · Alone in the Dark as Receptionist at Haven
- 1982 · Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again as Nurse with Telegram
- 1980 · A Cry for Love as
- 1980 · The Long Riders as Kate
- 1979 · The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal as Freida
- 1977 · A Secret Space as Amy
- 1977 · Sex and the Married Woman as Sandra
- Future · The Old World as The Aunt (voice)
- Future · Before Memory as
- 1979 · The Seeding of Sarah Burns as 2nd Nurse
- Future · Devoted as Aunt Dottie
- Future · Dead of Nowhere 3D as Meemaw