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
- 2024 · Scared to Death as Max
- 2023 · Insidious: The Red Door as Elise Rainier
- 2022 · We Are Gathered Here Today as Jean Cole
- 2022 · Living with Chucky as Self
- 2022 · Frank and Penelope as Ophelia
- 2021 · Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman as Mrs. Bundy
- 2020 · The Call as Edith Cranston
- 2020 · Penny Dreadful: City of Angels as Dottie Minter
- 2019 · The Grudge as Faith Matheson
- 2018 · The Main Course: The Making of Critters 2 as Self
- 2018 · Eli Roth's History of Horror as Self
- 2018 · Insidious: The Last Key as Elise Rainier
- 2017 · All About the Money as Mrs. Womack
- 2017 · Buster's Mal Heart as Pauline
- 2017 · The Black Room as Miss Black
- 2017 · Mountain Top as Muriel Miller
- 2016 · Ouija: Origin of Evil as Old Paulina Zander
- 2016 · The Midnight Man as Anna
- 2016 · Jack Goes Home as Teresa
- 2015 · Insidious: Chapter 3 as Elise Rainier
- 2015 · Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as The Grand Lady
- 2014 · Grace as Helen
- 2014 · Ouija as Paulina Zander
- 2014 · The Signal as Mirabelle
- 2013 · All American Christmas Carol as Barbara Belnap
- 2013 · Insidious: Chapter 2 as Elise Rainier
- 2013 · Crazy Kind of Love as Denise Mack
- 2012 · EastSiders as Diane
- 2012 · FDR: American Badass! as Eleanor Roosevelt
- 2012 · The Three Stooges as Nurse Crotchet
- 2011 · Rosewood Lane as Mrs. Hawthorne
- 2011 · A Good Old Fashioned Orgy as Dody
- 2011 · Insidious as Elise Rainier
- 2011 · Take Me Home as Jill
- 2010 · The Land of the Astronauts as
- 2010 · 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams as Granny Boone
- 2010 · Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy as Self
- 2010 · The Penthouse as Frances
- 2009 · My Sister's Keeper as Nurse Adele
- 2008 · Starz Inside: In the Gutter as Self
- 2007 · Private Practice as Mrs. Taylor
- 2007 · The Election as The Wife
- 2007 · Pledge This! as Miss Prin
- 2006 · Snakes on a Plane as Grace
- 2006 · Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror as Clara
- 2006 · Hoboken Hollow as Mrs. Brodrick
- 2005 · Made in Hollywood as Self
- 2005 · My Name Is Earl as Paul's Mom
- 2005 · 2001 Maniacs as Granny Boone
- 2005 · Confessions of an Action Star as Samantha Jones
- 2005 · Born Killers as Willow
- 2004 · Cellular as Exotic Car Driver
- 2004 · A Cinderella Story as Mrs. Wells
- 2004 · The Almost Guys as Repo Boss
- 2003 · Dead End as Laura Harrington
- 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
- 2001 · A Letter from My Father as Elise
- 2001 · Crossing Jordan as Leather Lauren
- 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 · Perversions of Science as Nurse
- 1996 · Last Man Standing as The Madame
- 1996 · Kingpin as Landlady
- 1996 · Project: ALF as Waitress
- 1995 · Sketch Artist II: Hands That See as Bonnie
- 1994 · Dumb and Dumber as Mrs. Neugeboren
- 1994 · Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last Chapter as Inmate
- 1994 · New Nightmare as Nurse with Pills
- 1994 · ER as Margaret
- 1994 · My So-Called Life as Parent #2
- 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 · Frasier as Anne
- 1993 · Three of Hearts as Operator
- 1993 · National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 as Witness
- 1991 · Critters 3 as Sal (archive footage)
- 1990 · Pump Up the Volume as PTA Parent #3
- 1989 · Life Goes On as Parent #2
- 1987 · The Running Man as Propaganda Officer
- 1987 · The Hidden as Carol Miller
- 1986 · Critters as Sally
- 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 · Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again as Nurse with Telegram
- 1982 · Cagney & Lacey as Secretary
- 1981 · Falcon Crest as Smoking Female Prisoner
- 1980 · The Long Riders as Kate
- 1977 · Eight Is Enough as Band Member
- Future · Before Memory as
- 2021 · Behind the Monsters as Self
- 2020 · The Horror Crowd as Self
- 2020 · The Voices as The Vagabond
- 2020 · Dreamkatcher as Ruth
- 2020 · Dead Talk Live as Self - Guest
- 2020 · Darkness Falls as Angela Anderson
- 2019 · Room for Rent as Joyce
- 2019 · The Final Wish as Kate Hammond
- 2018 · They Bite!: The Making of Critters as Self
- 2017 · Grow House as Mrs. Gilliam
- 2016 · Abattoir as Allie
- 2016 · Director's Cut as Captain Wheeler
- 2015 · Tales of Halloween as Lynn's Mother
- 2014 · Lost Time as Mysterious Woman
- 2013 · Big Ass Spider! as Mrs. Jefferson
- 2012 · Life's an Itch as Gloria
- 2012 · Matchmaker Santa as Debbie
- 2012 · 3 Days of Normal as May
- 2012 · Jewtopia as Dr. Sutton
- 2011 · Chillerama as Baglady / Nurse Maleva
- 2011 · Sedona as Claire
- 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
- 2009 · Dark Moon Rising as Sunny
- 2008 · Asylum as String's Mother
- 2008 · Killer Pad as Marge
- 2007 · Chasing Robert as Martha the Bookie
- 2007 · Homo Erectus as Museum Guide
- 2006 · Down the P.C.H. as Wendy O'Hara
- 2005 · Drop Dead Sexy as Ma Muzzy
- 2004 · The Hillside Strangler as Jenny Buono
- 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
- 1997 · Trading Favors as Darla
- 1995 · Nature of the Beast as Carol Powell
- 1994 · Corrina, Corrina as Repeat Nanny
- 1993 · Amityville: A New Generation as Nurse Turner
- 1992 · Roadside Prophets as Celeste
- 1988 · Critters 2 as Sal
- 1987 · Slam Dance as Librarian
- 1987 · Extreme Prejudice as Employment Office Clerk
- Future · The Possession at Gladstone Manor as Nurse
- 1980 · A Cry for Love as
- 1979 · The Seeding of Sarah Burns as 2nd Nurse
- 1978 · Goin' South as Parasol Lady
- Future · The Bench as
- Future · Dead of Nowhere 3D as Meemaw
- 2025 · Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies as Self - (archive footage)
- 2025 · 1000 Women in Horror as Self
- 2025 · House of Abraham as
- 2022 · Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story as Self
- 2022 · Remote as Kane
- 2022 · Pines as Julie (voice)
- 2020 · Max Reload and the Nether Blasters as Mrs. Wylder
- 2019 · Gothic Harvest as Griselda
- 2019 · Ambition as Lady Bum
- 2019 · Get Gone as Mama
- 2018 · Herbert West: Reanimator as Meredith
- 2018 · Los Angeles Overnight as Cousins
- 2016 · Texas Heart as Mrs. Smith
- 2015 · Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves as Helen Keller
- 2013 · Noobz as Mrs. Theodore
- 2012 · Waffle Hut as Jerrie Wolf
- 2011 · I Was a Teenage Werebear as
- 2011 · Goldberg - P.I. as Violet
- 2010 · Farewell Mr. Kringle as Zelda
- 2010 · Next Stop Murder as Detective Reeson
- 2010 · Killer by Nature as Leona
- 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 · Chronic Town as Nurse
- 2006 · Driftwood as Nancy Forrester
- 2006 · Surf School as Larry's Mom
- 2006 · Surf School as Larry's mom
- 2006 · Bachelor Party Vegas as Cassandra
- 2006 · Unbeatable Harold as Jeannie
- 2005 · Hate Crime as Kathleen Slansky
- 2003 · ManFast as Marge
- 2000 · Attention Shoppers as Libby
- 1995 · Trial by Fire as Phyliis Cardell
- 1993 · The Temp as Rosemary
- 1990 · Book of Love as Mrs. Flynn
- 1988 · Lucky Stiff as Bratty Kid's Mom
- 1987 · Mistress as Woman Customer
- 1987 · My Demon Lover as Anemic Counter Girl
- 1987 · Stillwatch as
- 1984 · Summer Fantasy as Woman on Beach
- 1979 · The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal as Freida
- 1977 · A Secret Space as Amy
- 1977 · Sex and the Married Woman as Sandra
- 1975 · Hester Street as Whore
- Future · Carrier as Joan Pierson
- Future · The Old World as The Aunt (voice)
- Future · Devoted as Aunt Dottie