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
- 2026 · Scared to Death as Max
- 2025 · 1000 Women in Horror as Self
- 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
- 2022 · Frank and Penelope as Ophelia
- 2021 · Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman as Mrs. Bundy
- 2020 · Penny Dreadful: City of Angels as Dottie Minter
- 2019 · The Grudge as Faith Matheson
- 2019 · Get Gone as Mama
- 2019 · Room for Rent as Joyce
- 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
- 2016 · Ouija: Origin of Evil as Old Paulina Zander
- 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 · Big Ass Spider! as Mrs. Jefferson
- 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 · Jewtopia as Dr. Sutton
- 2012 · The Three Stooges as Nurse Crotchet
- 2011 · Insidious as Elise Rainier
- 2010 · Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy as Self
- 2010 · The Penthouse as Frances
- 2009 · American Cowslip as Lou Anne
- 2009 · My Sister's Keeper as Nurse Adele
- 2007 · Private Practice as Mrs. Taylor
- 2006 · Down the P.C.H. as Wendy O'Hara
- 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
- 2005 · 2001 Maniacs as Granny Boone
- 2005 · Hate Crime as Kathleen Slansky
- 2005 · Born Killers as Willow
- 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
- 2003 · ManFast as Marge
- 2002 · Boat Trip as Sonya the Coach
- 2001 · Crossing Jordan as Leather Lauren
- 2001 · Without Charlie as
- 2000 · Attention Shoppers as Libby
- 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 · Arli$$ as Shurja
- 1996 · Kingpin as Landlady
- 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 · Corrina, Corrina as Repeat Nanny
- 1994 · In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance as Foreman #2
- 1993 · Amityville: A New Generation as Nurse Turner
- 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
- 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 · Slam Dance as Librarian
- 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
- 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
- Future · Devoted as Aunt Dottie
- 1994 · Even Cowgirls Get the Blues as Rubber Rose Maid
- 1993 · National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 as Witness
- 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
- 1977 · Eight Is Enough as Band Member
- Future · Before Memory as
- 2025 · Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies as Self - (archive footage)
- 2022 · Living with Chucky as Self
- 2022 · Pines as Julie (voice)
- 2021 · Behind the Monsters as Self
- 2020 · The Call as Edith Cranston
- 2020 · The Horror Crowd as Self
- 2020 · Dreamkatcher as Ruth
- 2020 · Dead Talk Live as Self - Guest
- 2019 · Gothic Harvest as Griselda
- 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
- 2012 · FDR: American Badass! as Eleanor Roosevelt
- 2011 · Rosewood Lane as Mrs. Hawthorne
- 2011 · Chillerama as Baglady / Nurse Maleva
- 2011 · A Good Old Fashioned Orgy as Dody
- 2011 · Sedona as Claire
- 2010 · The Land of the Astronauts as
- 2010 · Next Stop Murder as Detective Reeson
- 2010 · 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams as Granny Boone
- 2009 · Dark Moon Rising as Sunny
- 2008 · Starz Inside: In the Gutter as Self
- 2008 · Killer Pad as Marge
- 2007 · Chasing Robert as Martha the Bookie
- 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
- 2004 · Who's Your Daddy? as Ms. Harding
- 2002 · Wish You Were Dead as Jinny Macintosh
- 2002 · Contagion as Laura Crowley
- 2001 · A Letter from My Father as Elise
- 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
- 1992 · Roadside Prophets as Celeste
- 1991 · Critters 3 as Sal (archive footage)
- 1987 · My Demon Lover as Anemic Counter Girl
- 1987 · Stillwatch as
- 1980 · The Long Riders as Kate
- 1979 · The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal as Freida
- 1978 · Goin' South as Parasol Lady
- Future · Mascotland as
- 2025 · House of Abraham as
- 2020 · Max Reload and the Nether Blasters as Mrs. Wylder
- 2020 · The Voices as The Vagabond
- 2020 · Darkness Falls as Angela Anderson
- 2019 · Ambition as Lady Bum
- 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 · I Was a Teenage Werebear as
- 2011 · Take Me Home as Jill
- 2011 · Goldberg - P.I. as Violet
- 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 · Stuntmen as Bumble Jackson
- 2008 · Doggie Heaven as Woman
- 2008 · Chronic Town as Nurse
- 2008 · Asylum as String's Mother
- 2007 · The Election as The Wife
- 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
- 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
- 1990 · Book of Love as Mrs. Flynn
- 1987 · Mistress as Woman Customer
- 1984 · Summer Fantasy as Woman on Beach
- Future · The Bench as
- 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 · Dead of Nowhere 3D as Meemaw
- Future · The Possession at Gladstone Manor as Nurse
- Future · The Old World as The Aunt (voice)
- Future · Jackson's Hole as Netter