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 · Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies as Self - (archive footage)
- 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 · Living with Chucky as Self
- 2022 · Frank and Penelope as Ophelia
- 2022 · Pines as Julie (voice)
- 2021 · Behind the Monsters as Self
- 2020 · Dreamkatcher as Ruth
- 2020 · Penny Dreadful: City of Angels as Dottie Minter
- 2020 · Dead Talk Live as Self - Guest
- 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 · The Black Room as Miss Black
- 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 · Tales of Halloween as Lynn's Mother
- 2015 · Insidious: Chapter 3 as Elise Rainier
- 2014 · Ouija as Paulina Zander
- 2014 · The Signal as Mirabelle
- 2013 · Big Ass Spider! as Mrs. Jefferson
- 2013 · Insidious: Chapter 2 as Elise Rainier
- 2013 · Noobz as Mrs. Theodore
- 2012 · EastSiders as Diane
- 2012 · The Three Stooges as Nurse Crotchet
- 2011 · Chillerama as Baglady / Nurse Maleva
- 2011 · Insidious as Elise Rainier
- 2011 · Sedona as Claire
- 2011 · Goldberg - P.I. as Violet
- 2010 · Next Stop Murder as Detective Reeson
- 2010 · Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy as Self
- 2009 · My Sister's Keeper as Nurse Adele
- 2007 · Private Practice as Mrs. Taylor
- 2007 · Homo Erectus as Museum Guide
- 2006 · Snakes on a Plane as Grace
- 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 · Hate Crime as Kathleen Slansky
- 2004 · Cellular as Exotic Car Driver
- 2004 · A Cinderella Story as Mrs. Wells
- 2004 · Who's Your Daddy? as Ms. Harding
- 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
- 2002 · Contagion as Laura Crowley
- 2001 · Crossing Jordan as Leather Lauren
- 2001 · Say It Isn't So as Nurse Bautista
- 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
- 1995 · Trial by Fire as Phyliis Cardell
- 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 · Corrina, Corrina as Repeat Nanny
- 1994 · Even Cowgirls Get the Blues as Rubber Rose Maid
- 1993 · Amityville: A New Generation as Nurse Turner
- 1993 · Frasier as Anne
- 1993 · The Temp as Rosemary
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 1982 · Cagney & Lacey as Secretary
- 1981 · Falcon Crest as Smoking Female Prisoner
- 1980 · The Long Riders as Kate
- 1979 · The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal as Freida
- Future · Devoted as Aunt Dottie
- 2025 · House of Abraham as
- 2021 · Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman as Mrs. Bundy
- 2020 · The Call as Edith Cranston
- 2020 · Darkness Falls as Angela Anderson
- 2019 · The Final Wish as Kate Hammond
- 2017 · All About the Money as Mrs. Womack
- 2017 · Buster's Mal Heart as Pauline
- 2016 · The Midnight Man as Anna
- 2016 · Director's Cut as Captain Wheeler
- 2016 · Jack Goes Home as Teresa
- 2015 · Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as The Grand Lady
- 2014 · Grace as Helen
- 2013 · Crazy Kind of Love as Denise Mack
- 2012 · Matchmaker Santa as Debbie
- 2012 · FDR: American Badass! as Eleanor Roosevelt
- 2012 · 3 Days of Normal as May
- 2012 · Jewtopia as Dr. Sutton
- 2012 · Waffle Hut as Jerrie Wolf
- 2011 · Rosewood Lane as Mrs. Hawthorne
- 2011 · A Good Old Fashioned Orgy as Dody
- 2011 · Take Me Home as Jill
- 2010 · Farewell Mr. Kringle as Zelda
- 2010 · 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams as Granny Boone
- 2009 · Dark Moon Rising as Sunny
- 2009 · Stuntmen as Bumble Jackson
- 2009 · American Cowslip as Lou Anne
- 2008 · Doggie Heaven as Woman
- 2008 · Asylum as String's Mother
- 2008 · Killer Pad as Marge
- 2007 · Pledge This! as Miss Prin
- 2006 · Driftwood as Nancy Forrester
- 2006 · Down the P.C.H. as Wendy O'Hara
- 2006 · Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror as Clara
- 2006 · Bachelor Party Vegas as Cassandra
- 2005 · Drop Dead Sexy as Ma Muzzy
- 2005 · Born Killers as Willow
- 2004 · The Hillside Strangler as Jenny Buono
- 2002 · Wish You Were Dead as Jinny Macintosh
- 1998 · Living Out Loud as Lisa's Nurse
- 1996 · Project: ALF as Waitress
- 1995 · Nature of the Beast as Carol Powell
- 1995 · Sketch Artist II: Hands That See as Bonnie
- 1993 · Brain Smasher... A Love Story as Make up Artist
- 1993 · Three of Hearts as Operator
- 1992 · Roadside Prophets as Celeste
- 1990 · Book of Love as Mrs. Flynn
- 1987 · Mistress as Woman Customer
- 1987 · Slam Dance as Librarian
- 1984 · Why Me? as
- 1982 · Alone in the Dark as Receptionist at Haven
- 1982 · Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again as Nurse with Telegram
- Future · Mascotland as
- 2026 · Scared to Death as Max
- 2022 · We Are Gathered Here Today as Jean Cole
- 2020 · The Horror Crowd as Self
- 2020 · Max Reload and the Nether Blasters as Mrs. Wylder
- 2020 · The Voices as The Vagabond
- 2019 · Gothic Harvest as Griselda
- 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
- 2017 · Grow House as Mrs. Gilliam
- 2015 · Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves as Helen Keller
- 2014 · Lost Time as Mysterious Woman
- 2013 · All American Christmas Carol as Barbara Belnap
- 2012 · Life's an Itch as Gloria
- 2011 · I Was a Teenage Werebear as
- 2010 · The Land of the Astronauts as
- 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 · The Penthouse as Frances
- 2010 · Killer by Nature as Leona
- 2010 · VideoDome Rent-O-Rama as The Lush
- 2008 · Starz Inside: In the Gutter as Self
- 2008 · Chronic Town as Nurse
- 2007 · Chasing Robert as Martha the Bookie
- 2007 · The Election as The Wife
- 2006 · Surf School as Larry's Mom
- 2006 · Surf School as Larry's mom
- 2006 · Hoboken Hollow as Mrs. Brodrick
- 2006 · Unbeatable Harold as Jeannie
- 2004 · The Almost Guys as Repo Boss
- 2001 · A Letter from My Father as Elise
- 2001 · Without Charlie as
- 1998 · Breakfast with Einstein as Miss Desmond
- 1997 · Trading Favors as Darla
- 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
- 1980 · A Cry for Love as
- 1979 · The Seeding of Sarah Burns as 2nd Nurse
- 1978 · Goin' South as Parasol Lady
- 1977 · Sex and the Married Woman as Sandra
- 1977 · Eight Is Enough as Band Member
- 1975 · Hester Street as Whore
- Future · Dead of Nowhere 3D as Meemaw
- Future · The Old World as The Aunt (voice)
- Future · The Bench as
- Future · The Possession at Gladstone Manor as Nurse
- Future · Before Memory as
- 1977 · A Secret Space as Amy
- Future · Carrier as Joan Pierson
- Future · Jackson's Hole as Netter