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 (2019), Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman (2021), and the Insidious film series (2010–2026). 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: Out of the Further as Elise Rainier
- 2026 · Scared to Death as Max
- 2025 · House of Abraham as
- 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 · Living with Chucky as Self
- 2020 · The Horror Crowd as Self
- 2020 · The Voices as The Vagabond
- 2020 · Darkness Falls as Angela Anderson
- 2017 · All About the Money as Mrs. Womack
- 2017 · Grow House as Mrs. Gilliam
- 2016 · Texas Heart as Mrs. Smith
- 2015 · Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves as Helen Keller
- 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
- 2013 · Noobz as Mrs. Theodore
- 2012 · Life's an Itch as Gloria
- 2012 · FDR: American Badass! as Eleanor Roosevelt
- 2012 · Jewtopia as Dr. Sutton
- 2011 · Sedona as Claire
- 2010 · Next Stop Murder as Detective Reeson
- 2010 · Small Town Saturday Night as Phyllis Ryan
- 2010 · 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams as Granny Boone
- 2010 · Killer by Nature as Leona
- 2009 · Dark Moon Rising as Sunny
- 2009 · Stuntmen as Bumble Jackson
- 2008 · Doggie Heaven as Woman
- 2008 · Chronic Town as Nurse
- 2008 · Killer Pad as Marge
- 2007 · Chasing Robert as Martha the Bookie
- 2006 · Surf School as Larry's Mom
- 2005 · Confessions of an Action Star as Samantha Jones
- Future · Mascotland as
- 2009 · American Cowslip as Lou Anne
- 2007 · Snakes on a Set: Behind the Scenes as Self
- 2006 · Hoboken Hollow as Mrs. Brodrick
- 2006 · Pure Venom: The Making of Snakes on a Plane as Self
- 2006 · Unbeatable Harold as Jeannie
- 2005 · Hate Crime as Kathleen Slansky
- 2004 · The Hillside Strangler as Jenny Buono
- 2004 · The Almost Guys as Repo Boss
- 1997 · Trading Favors as Darla
- 1993 · Amityville: A New Generation as Nurse Turner
- 1992 · Roadside Prophets as Celeste
- 1982 · Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again as Nurse with Telegram
- Future · Thread: An Insidious Tale as Elise Rainier
- 2002 · Wish You Were Dead as Jinny Macintosh
- 1995 · Nature of the Beast as Carol Powell
- 1994 · Even Cowgirls Get the Blues as Rubber Rose Maid
- 1993 · Brain Smasher... A Love Story as Make up Artist
- 1988 · Lucky Stiff as Bratty Kid's Mom
- 1987 · Mistress as Woman Customer
- 1984 · Summer Fantasy as Woman on Beach
- 1977 · Sex and the Married Woman as Sandra
- 1975 · Hester Street as Whore
- Future · Before Memory as
- 2025 · 1000 Women in Horror as Self
- 2022 · Remote as Kane
- 2022 · We Are Gathered Here Today as Jean Cole
- 2020 · Max Reload and the Nether Blasters as Mrs. Wylder
- 2019 · Gothic Harvest as Griselda
- 2019 · Ambition as Lady Bum
- 2019 · Get Gone as Mama
- 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
- 2013 · All American Christmas Carol as Barbara Belnap
- 2013 · Insidious: Spectral Sightings as Elise
- 2011 · I Was a Teenage Werebear as
- 2010 · Farewell Mr. Kringle as Zelda
- 2010 · Pickin' and Grinnin' as Bonnie Johnson
- 2010 · VideoDome Rent-O-Rama as The Lush
- 2007 · Snakes on a Plane: Meet the Reptiles as Self
- 2002 · Contagion as Laura Crowley
- Future · The Bench as
- 2022 · The Quarry: Movie Mode as Constance Hackett
- 2022 · Frank and Penelope as Ophelia
- 2022 · Pines as Julie (voice)
- 2021 · Behind the Monsters as Self
- 2021 · Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman as Mrs. Bundy
- 2020 · The Call as Edith Cranston
- 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 · Room for Rent as Joyce
- 2019 · The Final Wish as Kate Hammond
- 2018 · Eli Roth's History of Horror as Self
- 2018 · Insidious: The Last Key as Elise Rainier
- 2017 · Buster's Mal Heart as Pauline
- 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 · 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 · Insidious: Chapter 3 as Elise Rainier
- 2014 · Grace as Helen
- 2014 · Ouija as Paulina Zander
- 2014 · The Signal as Mirabelle
- 2013 · Big Ass Spider! as Mrs. Jefferson
- 2013 · Insidious: Chapter 2 as Elise Rainier
- 2012 · EastSiders as Diane
- 2012 · Matchmaker Santa as Debbie
- 2012 · 3 Days of Normal as May
- 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 · A Good Old Fashioned Orgy as Dody
- 2011 · Insidious as Elise Rainier
- 2011 · Take Me Home as Jill
- 2011 · Goldberg - P.I. as Violet
- 2010 · The Land of the Astronauts as
- 2010 · The Accidental Death of Joey by Sue as Mrs. Rawlings
- 2010 · Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy as Self
- 2010 · The Penthouse as Frances
- 2009 · My Sister's Keeper as Nurse Adele
- 2008 · Starz Inside: In the Gutter as Self
- 2008 · Asylum as String's Mother
- 2007 · Private Practice as Mrs. Taylor
- 2007 · The Election as The Wife
- 2007 · Homo Erectus as Museum Guide
- 2007 · Pledge This! as Miss Prin
- 2007 · The Snake Pit: On the Set of 'Snakes on a Plane' as Self
- 2006 · Driftwood as Nancy Forrester
- 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 · Bachelor Party Vegas as Cassandra
- 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
- 2005 · Born Killers as Willow
- 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
- 2001 · A Letter from My Father as Elise
- 2001 · Crossing Jordan as Leather Lauren
- 2001 · Say It Isn't So as Nurse Bautista
- 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 · 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 · Last Man Standing as The Madame
- 1996 · Arli$$ as Shurja
- 1996 · Kingpin as Landlady
- 1996 · Project: ALF as Waitress
- 1995 · Trial by Fire as Phyliis Cardell
- 1995 · Sketch Artist II: Hands That See as Bonnie
- 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 · Frasier as Anne
- 1993 · Three of Hearts as Operator
- 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
- 1990 · Book of Love as Mrs. Flynn
- 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 · Slam Dance as Librarian
- 1987 · My Demon Lover as Anemic Counter Girl
- 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
- 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 · The Possession at Gladstone Manor as Nurse
- 1980 · A Cry for Love as
- 1980 · The Long Riders as Kate
- 1979 · The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal as Freida
- Future · The Old World as The Aunt (voice)
- 1979 · The Seeding of Sarah Burns as 2nd Nurse
- 1978 · Goin' South as Parasol Lady
- 1977 · A Secret Space as Amy
- 1977 · Eight Is Enough as Band Member
- Future · Jackson's Hole as Netter
- Future · Carrier as Joan Pierson
- Future · Dead of Nowhere 3D as Meemaw
- Future · Devoted as Aunt Dottie




