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