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
- 2026 · Insidious: The Bleeding World as Elise Rainier
- 2025 · Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies as Self - (archive footage)
- 2025 · Common Side Effects as Sonia (voice)
- 2024 · The Last Stand of Ellen Cole as Ellen
- 2023 · Insidious: The Red Door as Elise Rainier
- 2022 · Living with Chucky as Self
- 2020 · The Call as Edith Cranston
- 2020 · The Voices as The Vagabond
- 2020 · Dreamkatcher as Ruth
- 2020 · Penny Dreadful: City of Angels as Dottie Minter
- 2020 · Darkness Falls as Angela Anderson
- 2019 · Gothic Harvest as Griselda
- 2019 · Ambition as Lady Bum
- 2019 · Room for Rent as Joyce
- 2018 · Eli Roth's History of Horror as Self
- 2018 · Insidious: The Last Key as Elise Rainier
- 2017 · Grow House as Mrs. Gilliam
- 2017 · Mountain Top as Muriel Miller
- 2016 · Abattoir as Allie
- 2016 · Ouija: Origin of Evil as Old Paulina Zander
- 2016 · Texas Heart as Mrs. Smith
- 2016 · Jack Goes Home as Teresa
- 2015 · Insidious: Chapter 3 as Elise Rainier
- 2014 · Grace as Helen
- 2014 · Ouija as Paulina Zander
- 2014 · Lost Time as Mysterious Woman
- 2014 · The Signal as Mirabelle
- 2013 · Insidious: Chapter 2 as Elise Rainier
- 2013 · Noobz as Mrs. Theodore
- 2012 · Jewtopia as Dr. Sutton
- 2012 · Waffle Hut as Jerrie Wolf
- 2011 · Rosewood Lane as Mrs. Hawthorne
- 2011 · Chillerama as Baglady / Nurse Maleva
- 2011 · Insidious as Elise Rainier
- 2010 · Killer by Nature as Leona
- 2009 · Stuntmen as Bumble Jackson
- 2009 · My Sister's Keeper as Nurse Adele
- 2008 · Doggie Heaven as Woman
- 2008 · Asylum as String's Mother
- 2008 · Killer Pad as Marge
- 2007 · Private Practice as Mrs. Taylor
- 2007 · Chasing Robert as Martha the Bookie
- 2007 · Homo Erectus as Museum Guide
- 2006 · Driftwood as Nancy Forrester
- 2006 · Surf School as Larry's Mom
- 2006 · Surf School as Larry's mom
- 2006 · Snakes on a Plane as Grace
- 2006 · Hoboken Hollow as Mrs. Brodrick
- 2006 · Unbeatable Harold as Jeannie
- 2005 · Made in Hollywood as Self
- 2005 · My Name Is Earl as Paul's Mom
- 2005 · 2001 Maniacs as Granny Boone
- 2005 · Hate Crime as Kathleen Slansky
- 2004 · The Hillside Strangler as Jenny Buono
- 2004 · A Cinderella Story as Mrs. Wells
- 2003 · Stuck on You as Makeup Babe
- 2003 · Barely Legal as Tequlia
- 2003 · Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd as Margie
- 2002 · Boat Trip as Sonya the Coach
- 2002 · Contagion as Laura Crowley
- 2001 · Crossing Jordan as Leather Lauren
- 2001 · Say It Isn't So as Nurse Bautista
- 2001 · Without Charlie as
- 2000 · Me, Myself & Irene as Mrs. Caleron
- 1999 · Detroit Rock City as Mrs. Bruce
- 1998 · Becker as Mrs. Cooper
- 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
- 1994 · My So-Called Life as Parent #2
- 1994 · Corrina, Corrina as Repeat Nanny
- 1994 · Even Cowgirls Get the Blues as Rubber Rose Maid
- 1993 · Amityville: A New Generation as Nurse Turner
- 1993 · Frasier as Anne
- 1993 · National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 as Witness
- 1992 · Roadside Prophets as Celeste
- 1991 · Critters 3 as Sal (archive footage)
- 1990 · Pump Up the Volume as PTA Parent #3
- 1989 · Life Goes On as Parent #2
- 1988 · Lucky Stiff as Bratty Kid's Mom
- 1987 · The Running Man as Propaganda Officer
- 1987 · The Hidden as Carol Miller
- 1987 · Slam Dance as Librarian
- 1987 · Extreme Prejudice as Employment Office Clerk
- 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
- 1984 · Summer Fantasy as Woman on Beach
- 1984 · Why Me? as
- 1982 · Cagney & Lacey as Secretary
- 1981 · Falcon Crest as Smoking Female Prisoner
- 1980 · The Long Riders as Kate
- 1978 · Goin' South as Parasol Lady
- 1977 · Eight Is Enough as Band Member
- 1975 · Hester Street as Whore
- Future · Carrier as Joan Pierson
- Future · The Bench as
- 2025 · 1000 Women in Horror as Self
- 2025 · House of Abraham as
- 2024 · Scared to Death as Max
- 2022 · Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story as Self
- 2022 · Remote as Kane
- 2022 · We Are Gathered Here Today as Jean Cole
- 2022 · Frank and Penelope as Ophelia
- 2022 · Pines as Julie (voice)
- 2021 · Behind the Monsters as Self
- 2021 · Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman as Mrs. Bundy
- 2020 · The Horror Crowd as Herself
- 2020 · Max Reload and the Nether Blasters as Mrs. Wylder
- 2020 · Dead Talk Live as Self - Guest
- 2019 · The Grudge as Faith Matheson
- 2019 · Get Gone as Mama
- 2019 · The Final Wish as Kate Hammond
- 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
- 2018 · Los Angeles Overnight as Cousins
- 2017 · All About the Money as Mrs. Womack
- 2017 · Buster's Mal Heart as Pauline
- 2017 · The Black Room as Miss Black
- 2016 · The Midnight Man as Anna
- 2016 · Director's Cut as Captain Wheeler
- 2015 · Tales of Halloween as Lynn's Mother
- 2015 · Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves as Helen Keller
- 2015 · Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as The Grand Lady
- 2013 · All American Christmas Carol as Barbara Belnap
- 2013 · Big Ass Spider! as Mrs. Jefferson
- 2013 · Crazy Kind of Love as Denise Mack
- 2012 · EastSiders as Diane
- 2012 · Life's an Itch as Gloria
- 2012 · Matchmaker Santa as Debbie
- 2012 · FDR: American Badass! as Eleanor Roosevelt
- 2012 · 3 Days of Normal as May
- 2012 · The Three Stooges as Nurse Crotchet
- 2011 · A Good Old Fashioned Orgy as Dody
- 2011 · I Was a Teenage Werebear as
- 2011 · Take Me Home as Jill
- 2011 · Sedona as Claire
- 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 · Small Town Saturday Night as Phyllis Ryan
- 2010 · Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy as Self
- 2010 · Pickin' and Grinnin' as Bonnie Johnson
- 2010 · The Penthouse as Frances
- 2010 · VideoDome Rent-O-Rama as The Lush
- 2009 · Dark Moon Rising as Sunny
- 2009 · American Cowslip as Lou Anne
- 2008 · Starz Inside: In the Gutter as Self
- 2008 · Chronic Town as Nurse
- 2007 · The Election as The Wife
- 2007 · Pledge This! as Miss Prin
- 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
- 2005 · Drop Dead Sexy as Ma Muzzy
- 2005 · Confessions of an Action Star as Samantha Jones
- 2005 · Born Killers as Willow
- 2004 · Cellular as Exotic Car Driver
- 2004 · The Almost Guys as Repo Boss
- 2004 · Who's Your Daddy? as Ms. Harding
- 2003 · Dead End as Laura Harrington
- 2003 · ManFast as Marge
- 2002 · Wish You Were Dead as Jinny Macintosh
- 2001 · A Letter from My Father as Elise
- 2000 · Attention Shoppers as Libby
- 1998 · Living Out Loud as Lisa's Nurse
- 1998 · Breakfast with Einstein as Miss Desmond
- 1997 · Perversions of Science as Nurse
- 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 · New Nightmare as Nurse with Pills
- 1994 · In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance as Foreman #2
- 1993 · Brain Smasher... A Love Story as Make up Artist
- 1993 · Three of Hearts as Operator
- 1993 · The Temp as Rosemary
- 1990 · Book of Love as Mrs. Flynn
- 1987 · My Demon Lover as Anemic Counter Girl
- 1987 · Stillwatch as
- 1985 · Brewster's Millions as Journalist at Rally
- 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
- 1979 · The Seeding of Sarah Burns as 2nd Nurse
- Future · The Possession at Gladstone Manor as Nurse
- Future · Devoted as Aunt Dottie
- Future · Dead of Nowhere 3D as Meemaw
- 1988 · Critters 2 as Sal
- 1987 · Mistress as Woman Customer
- 1977 · A Secret Space as Amy
- Future · Before Memory as
- Future · The Old World as The Aunt (voice)
- 1979 · The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal as Freida
- 1977 · Sex and the Married Woman as Sandra