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