Lin Shaye
October 12, 1943 (81 years old) in Detroit, Michigan, USA
Lin Shaye (born October 12, 1943) is an American actress. She is best known for her work in horror franchises, including Nightmare on Elm Street, Ouija, and Insidious. Shaye attended the University of Michigan, where she was an Art History major, although acting in as many University productions as possible, including "Bye Bye Birdie" and "On The Town". After U of M, she attended Columbia University School of the Arts, and acquired a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting. She stayed in New York upon graduation and worked in numerous off- and off-off- Broadway productions, as well as Lincoln Center and Broadway.
Known For
Credits
- 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
- 2020 · The Horror Crowd as Herself
- 2020 · Penny Dreadful: City of Angels as Dottie Minter
- 2018 · Eli Roth's History of Horror as Self
- 2018 · Insidious: The Last Key as Elise Rainier
- 2017 · Grow House as Mrs. Gilliam
- 2016 · Ouija: Origin of Evil as Old Paulina Zander
- 2015 · Insidious: Chapter 3 as Elise Rainier
- 2014 · Ouija as Paulina Zander
- 2014 · The Signal as Mirabelle
- 2013 · Insidious: Chapter 2 as Elise Rainier
- 2012 · Jewtopia as Dr. Sutton
- 2012 · The Three Stooges as Nurse Crotchet
- 2011 · Insidious as Elise Rainier
- 2010 · Killer by Nature as Leona
- 2009 · My Sister's Keeper as Nurse Adele
- 2007 · Private Practice as Mrs. Taylor
- 2006 · Snakes on a Plane as Grace
- 2006 · Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror as Clara
- 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 · Stuck on You as Makeup Babe
- 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
- 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
- 1993 · Brain Smasher... A Love Story as Make up Artist
- 1993 · Frasier as Anne
- 1989 · Life Goes On as Parent #2
- 1987 · The Running Man as Propaganda Officer
- 1985 · The Twilight Zone as Kate Simmons (segment "Chameleon")
- 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
- 1979 · The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal as Freida
- 1977 · Eight Is Enough as Band Member
- Future · Carrier as Joan Pierson
- 2025 · 1000 Women in Horror as Self
- 2021 · Behind the Monsters as Self
- 2021 · Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman as Mrs. Bundy
- 2020 · The Call as Edith Cranston
- 2020 · The Voices as The Vagabond
- 2020 · Dead Talk Live as Self - Guest
- 2020 · Darkness Falls as Angela Anderson
- 2018 · They Bite!: The Making of Critters as Self
- 2018 · Los Angeles Overnight as Cousins
- 2017 · All About the Money as Mrs. Womack
- 2017 · Buster's Mal Heart as Pauline
- 2017 · Mountain Top as Muriel Miller
- 2016 · The Midnight Man as Anna
- 2016 · Director's Cut as Captain Wheeler
- 2015 · Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as The Grand Lady
- 2013 · All American Christmas Carol as Barbara Belnap
- 2013 · Big Ass Spider! as Mrs. Jefferson
- 2013 · Crazy Kind of Love as Denise Mack
- 2013 · Noobz as Mrs. Theodore
- 2012 · Matchmaker Santa as Debbie
- 2011 · Chillerama as Baglady / Nurse Maleva
- 2011 · A Good Old Fashioned Orgy as Dody
- 2011 · Take Me Home as Jill
- 2010 · Black Limousine as
- 2010 · Next Stop Murder as Detective Reeson
- 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
- 2009 · Dark Moon Rising as Sunny
- 2009 · Stuntmen as Bumble Jackson
- 2007 · Chasing Robert as Martha the Bookie
- 2007 · Homo Erectus as Museum Guide
- 2007 · Pledge This! as Miss Prin
- 2006 · Bachelor Party Vegas as Cassandra
- 2005 · Drop Dead Sexy as Ma Muzzy
- 2005 · Confessions of an Action Star as Samantha Jones
- 2005 · Hate Crime as Kathleen Slansky
- 2004 · The Almost Guys as Repo Boss
- 2004 · Who's Your Daddy? as Ms. Harding
- 2002 · Wish You Were Dead as Jinny Macintosh
- 2001 · Say It Isn't So as Nurse Bautista
- 1998 · Living Out Loud as Lisa's Nurse
- 1997 · Trading Favors as Darla
- 1994 · Even Cowgirls Get the Blues as Rubber Rose Maid
- 1994 · In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance as Foreman #2
- 1988 · Lucky Stiff as Bratty Kid's Mom
- Future · Devoted as Aunt Dottie
- 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
- Future · Before Memory as
- 2025 · House of Abraham as
- 2024 · Scared to Death as Max
- 2022 · We Are Gathered Here Today as Jean Cole
- 2022 · Living with Chucky as Self
- 2022 · Frank and Penelope as Ophelia
- 2022 · Pines as Julie (voice)
- 2020 · Max Reload and the Nether Blasters as Mrs. Wylder
- 2020 · Dreamkatcher as Ruth
- 2019 · The Grudge as Faith Matheson
- 2019 · Gothic Harvest as Griselda
- 2019 · Ambition as Lady Bum
- 2019 · Get Gone as Mama
- 2019 · Room for Rent as Joyce
- 2019 · The Final Wish as Kate Hammond
- 2018 · Herbert West: Reanimator as Meredith
- 2018 · The Main Course: The Making of Critters 2 as Self
- 2017 · The Black Room as Miss Black
- 2016 · Abattoir as Allie
- 2016 · Texas Heart as Mrs. Smith
- 2016 · Jack Goes Home as Teresa
- 2015 · Tales of Halloween as Lynn's Mother
- 2015 · Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves as Helen Keller
- 2014 · Grace as Helen
- 2014 · Lost Time as Mysterious Woman
- 2012 · EastSiders as Diane
- 2012 · Life's an Itch as Gloria
- 2012 · FDR: American Badass! as Eleanor Roosevelt
- 2012 · 3 Days of Normal as May
- 2012 · Waffle Hut as Jerrie Wolf
- 2011 · Rosewood Lane as Mrs. Hawthorne
- 2011 · I Was a Teenage Werebear as
- 2011 · Sedona as Claire
- 2011 · Goldberg - P.I. as Violet
- 2010 · Farewell Mr. Kringle as Zelda
- 2010 · The Accidental Death of Joey by Sue as Mrs. Rawlings
- 2010 · Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy as Self
- 2010 · VideoDome Rent-O-Rama as The Lush
- 2009 · American Cowslip as Lou Anne
- 2008 · Doggie Heaven as Woman
- 2008 · Starz Inside: In the Gutter as Self
- 2008 · Chronic Town as Nurse
- 2008 · Asylum as String's Mother
- 2008 · Killer Pad as Marge
- 2007 · The Election as The Wife
- 2006 · Driftwood as Nancy Forrester
- 2006 · Surf School as Larry's Mom
- 2006 · Surf School as Larry's mom
- 2006 · Down the P.C.H. as Wendy O'Hara
- 2006 · Hoboken Hollow as Mrs. Brodrick
- 2006 · Unbeatable Harold as Jeannie
- 2005 · 2001 Maniacs as Granny Boone
- 2005 · Born Killers as Willow
- 2004 · The Hillside Strangler as Jenny Buono
- 2003 · Dead End as Laura Harrington
- 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 · A Letter from My Father as Elise
- 2001 · Without Charlie as
- 2000 · Attention Shoppers as Libby
- 1999 · Detroit Rock City as Mrs. Bruce
- 1998 · Breakfast with Einstein as Miss Desmond
- 1996 · Last Man Standing as The Madame
- 1996 · Kingpin as Landlady
- 1996 · Project: ALF as Waitress
- 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
- 1994 · Corrina, Corrina as Repeat Nanny
- 1993 · Amityville: A New Generation as Nurse Turner
- 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)
- 1990 · Pump Up the Volume as PTA Parent #3
- 1990 · Book of Love as Mrs. Flynn
- 1988 · Critters 2 as Sal
- 1987 · The Hidden as Carol Miller
- 1987 · Mistress as Woman Customer
- 1987 · Slam Dance as Librarian
- 1987 · Extreme Prejudice as Employment Office Clerk
- 1987 · My Demon Lover as Anemic Counter Girl
- 1987 · Stillwatch as
- 1986 · Critters as Sally
- 1985 · Brewster's Millions as Journalist at Rally
- 1984 · Summer Fantasy as Woman on Beach
- 1984 · Why Me? as
- 1980 · A Cry for Love as
- 1980 · The Long Riders as Kate
- 1979 · The Seeding of Sarah Burns as 2nd Nurse
- 1975 · Hester Street as Whore
- Future · Dead of Nowhere 3D as Meemaw
- Future · The Bench as
- 1977 · Sex and the Married Woman as Sandra
- Future · The Old World as The Aunt (voice)
- 1977 · A Secret Space as Amy