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 · Frank and Penelope as Ophelia
- 2020 · The Call as Edith Cranston
- 2020 · Max Reload and the Nether Blasters as Mrs. Wylder
- 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 · The Grudge as Faith Matheson
- 2019 · Gothic Harvest as Griselda
- 2019 · Ambition as Lady Bum
- 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
- 2015 · Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves as Helen Keller
- 2015 · Insidious: Chapter 3 as Elise Rainier
- 2014 · Ouija as Paulina Zander
- 2014 · Lost Time as Mysterious Woman
- 2014 · The Signal as Mirabelle
- 2013 · Insidious: Chapter 2 as Elise Rainier
- 2012 · EastSiders as Diane
- 2012 · Matchmaker Santa as Debbie
- 2012 · Jewtopia as Dr. Sutton
- 2012 · The Three Stooges as Nurse Crotchet
- 2012 · Waffle Hut as Jerrie Wolf
- 2011 · Rosewood Lane as Mrs. Hawthorne
- 2011 · Chillerama as Baglady / Nurse Maleva
- 2011 · Insidious as Elise Rainier
- 2011 · Take Me Home as Jill
- 2011 · Sedona as Claire
- 2009 · Stuntmen as Bumble Jackson
- 2009 · My Sister's Keeper as Nurse Adele
- 2008 · Doggie Heaven as Woman
- 2008 · Chronic Town as Nurse
- 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 · The Election as The Wife
- 2007 · Homo Erectus as Museum Guide
- 2007 · Pledge This! as Miss Prin
- 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 · Bachelor Party Vegas as Cassandra
- 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 · Drop Dead Sexy as Ma Muzzy
- 2004 · Cellular as Exotic Car Driver
- 2004 · A Cinderella Story as Mrs. Wells
- 2004 · Who's Your Daddy? as Ms. Harding
- 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
- 2000 · Me, Myself & Irene as Mrs. Caleron
- 1998 · Becker as Mrs. Cooper
- 1998 · There's Something About Mary as Magda
- 1997 · Perversions of Science as Nurse
- 1997 · Trading Favors as Darla
- 1996 · Last Man Standing as The Madame
- 1996 · Kingpin as Landlady
- 1996 · Project: ALF as Waitress
- 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
- 1993 · Frasier as Anne
- 1992 · Roadside Prophets as Celeste
- 1991 · Critters 3 as Sal (archive footage)
- 1989 · Life Goes On as Parent #2
- 1988 · Lucky Stiff as Bratty Kid's Mom
- 1988 · Critters 2 as Sal
- 1987 · The Running Man as Propaganda Officer
- 1987 · The Hidden as Carol Miller
- 1987 · Mistress as Woman Customer
- 1987 · Slam Dance as Librarian
- 1987 · Stillwatch as
- 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 · Summer Fantasy as Woman on Beach
- 1982 · Cagney & Lacey as Secretary
- 1981 · Falcon Crest as Smoking Female Prisoner
- 1978 · Goin' South as Parasol Lady
- 1977 · Eight Is Enough as Band Member
- 1975 · Hester Street as Whore
- Future · Carrier as Joan Pierson
- 2022 · Living with Chucky as Self
- 2022 · The Quarry as Constance Hackett
- 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
- 2019 · Room for Rent as Joyce
- 2019 · The Final Wish as Kate Hammond
- 2018 · Herbert West: Reanimator as Meredith
- 2018 · Los Angeles Overnight as Cousins
- 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
- 2016 · Jack Goes Home as Teresa
- 2015 · Tales of Halloween as Lynn's Mother
- 2015 · Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as The Grand Lady
- 2014 · Grace as Helen
- 2013 · Big Ass Spider! as Mrs. Jefferson
- 2013 · Crazy Kind of Love as Denise Mack
- 2013 · Noobz as Mrs. Theodore
- 2011 · A Good Old Fashioned Orgy as Dody
- 2011 · I Was a Teenage Werebear as
- 2010 · Farewell Mr. Kringle as Zelda
- 2010 · 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams as Granny Boone
- 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
- 2005 · Confessions of an Action Star as Samantha Jones
- 2004 · The Hillside Strangler as Jenny Buono
- 2003 · Dead End as Laura Harrington
- 2003 · Stuck on You as Makeup Babe
- 2001 · Say It Isn't So as Nurse Bautista
- 1999 · Detroit Rock City as Mrs. Bruce
- 1998 · Living Out Loud as Lisa's Nurse
- 1994 · Even Cowgirls Get the Blues as Rubber Rose Maid
- 1993 · Amityville: A New Generation as Nurse Turner
- 1993 · The Temp as Rosemary
- 1993 · National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 as Witness
- 1990 · Pump Up the Volume as PTA Parent #3
- 1990 · Book of Love as Mrs. Flynn
- 1987 · My Demon Lover as Anemic Counter Girl
- 1982 · Alone in the Dark as Receptionist at Haven
- 1977 · Sex and the Married Woman as Sandra
- Future · The Bench as
- 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
- 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
- 2020 · The Horror Crowd as Self
- 2019 · Get Gone as Mama
- 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
- 2013 · All American Christmas Carol as Barbara Belnap
- 2012 · Life's an Itch as Gloria
- 2012 · FDR: American Badass! as Eleanor Roosevelt
- 2012 · 3 Days of Normal as May
- 2011 · Goldberg - P.I. as Violet
- 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 · Small Town Saturday Night as Phyllis Ryan
- 2010 · Killer by Nature as Leona
- 2008 · Starz Inside: In the Gutter as Self
- 2006 · Down the P.C.H. as Wendy O'Hara
- 2006 · Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror as Clara
- 2005 · Hate Crime as Kathleen Slansky
- 2005 · Born Killers as Willow
- 2004 · The Almost Guys as Repo Boss
- 2003 · ManFast as Marge
- 2002 · Wish You Were Dead as Jinny Macintosh
- 2001 · A Letter from My Father as Elise
- 2001 · Without Charlie as
- 2000 · Attention Shoppers as Libby
- 1998 · Breakfast with Einstein as Miss Desmond
- 1995 · Nature of the Beast as Carol Powell
- 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
- 1993 · Brain Smasher... A Love Story as Make up Artist
- 1993 · Three of Hearts as Operator
- 1987 · Extreme Prejudice as Employment Office Clerk
- 1984 · Why Me? as
- 1982 · Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again as Nurse with Telegram
- 1980 · A Cry for Love as
- 1980 · The Long Riders as Kate
- 1977 · A Secret Space as Amy
- Future · The Possession at Gladstone Manor as Nurse
- 1994 · In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance as Foreman #2
- 1979 · The Seeding of Sarah Burns as 2nd Nurse
- 1979 · The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal as Freida
- Future · Devoted as Aunt Dottie
- Future · Before Memory as
- Future · Dead of Nowhere 3D as Meemaw
- Future · The Old World as The Aunt (voice)