Lin Shaye
Known For
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
Oct 12, 1943 (83 years old)
Place of Birth
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Biography
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
| 2026 | Scared to DeathMax | |
| 2026 | Insidious: The Bleeding WorldElise Rainier | |
| 2025 | House of Abraham | |
| 2025 | 1000 Women in HorrorSelf | |
| 2025 | Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror MoviesSelf - (archive footage) | |
| 2025 | Common Side EffectsSonia (voice) | |
| 2024 | The Last Stand of Ellen ColeEllen | |
| 2023 | Insidious: The Red DoorElise Rainier | |
| 2022 | Frank and PenelopeOphelia | |
| 2022 | PinesJulie (voice) | |
| 2022 | We Are Gathered Here TodayJean Cole | |
| 2022 | Living with ChuckySelf | |
| 2022 | RemoteKane | |
| 2022 | Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund StorySelf | |
| 2021 | Ted Bundy: American BoogeymanMrs. Bundy | |
| 2021 | Behind the MonstersSelf | |
| 2020 | Darkness FallsAngela Anderson | |
| 2020 | DreamkatcherRuth | |
| 2020 | The VoicesThe Vagabond | |
| 2020 | Max Reload and the Nether BlastersMrs. Wylder | |
| 2020 | The Horror CrowdSelf | |
| 2020 | The CallEdith Cranston | |
| 2020 | Dead Talk LiveSelf - Guest | |
| 2020 | Penny Dreadful: City of AngelsDottie Minter | |
| 2019 | The GrudgeFaith Matheson | |
| 2019 | The Final WishKate Hammond | |
| 2019 | Room for RentJoyce | |
| 2019 | Gothic HarvestGriselda | |
| 2019 | Get GoneMama | |
| 2019 | AmbitionLady Bum | |
| 2018 | The Main Course: The Making of Critters 2Self | |
| 2018 | Insidious: The Last KeyElise Rainier | |
| 2018 | Herbert West: ReanimatorMeredith | |
| 2018 | They Bite!: The Making of CrittersSelf | |
| 2018 | Los Angeles OvernightCousins | |
| 2018 | Eli Roth's History of HorrorSelf | |
| 2017 | Grow HouseMrs. Gilliam | |
| 2017 | Buster's Mal HeartPauline | |
| 2017 | The Black RoomMiss Black | |
| 2017 | All About the MoneyMrs. Womack | |
| 2017 | Mountain TopMuriel Miller | |
| 2016 | Director's CutCaptain Wheeler | |
| 2016 | Jack Goes HomeTeresa | |
| 2016 | AbattoirAllie | |
| 2016 | Texas HeartMrs. Smith | |
| 2016 | Ouija: Origin of EvilOld Paulina Zander | |
| 2016 | The Midnight ManAnna | |
| 2015 | Insidious: Chapter 3Elise Rainier | |
| 2015 | Helen Keller vs. NightwolvesHelen Keller | |
| 2015 | Tales of HalloweenLynn's Mother | |
| 2015 | Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La ManchaThe Grand Lady | |
| 2014 | The SignalMirabelle | |
| 2014 | Lost TimeMysterious Woman | |
| 2014 | GraceHelen | |
| 2014 | OuijaPaulina Zander | |
| 2013 | Insidious: Chapter 2Elise Rainier | |
| 2013 | Crazy Kind of LoveDenise Mack | |
| 2013 | Big Ass Spider!Mrs. Jefferson | |
| 2013 | All American Christmas CarolBarbara Belnap | |
| 2013 | NoobzMrs. Theodore | |
| 2012 | FDR: American Badass!Eleanor Roosevelt | |
| 2012 | 3 Days of NormalMay | |
| 2012 | Life's an ItchGloria | |
| 2012 | The Three StoogesNurse Crotchet | |
| 2012 | JewtopiaDr. Sutton | |
| 2012 | Waffle HutJerrie Wolf | |
| 2012 | Matchmaker SantaDebbie | |
| 2012 | EastSidersDiane | |
| 2011 | InsidiousElise Rainier | |
| 2011 | Take Me HomeJill | |
| 2011 | SedonaClaire | |
| 2011 | ChilleramaBaglady / Nurse Maleva | |
| 2011 | I Was a Teenage Werebear | |
| 2011 | Rosewood LaneMrs. Hawthorne | |
| 2011 | A Good Old Fashioned OrgyDody | |
| 2011 | Goldberg - P.I.Violet | |
| 2010 | 2001 Maniacs: Field of ScreamsGranny Boone | |
| 2010 | Killer by NatureLeona | |
| 2010 | Next Stop MurderDetective Reeson | |
| 2010 | Farewell Mr. KringleZelda | |
| 2010 | Pickin' and Grinnin'Bonnie Johnson | |
| 2010 | The PenthouseFrances | |
| 2010 | Small Town Saturday NightPhyllis Ryan | |
| 2010 | The Land of the Astronauts | |
| 2010 | VideoDome Rent-O-RamaThe Lush | |
| 2010 | Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street LegacySelf | |
| 2010 | The Accidental Death of Joey by SueMrs. Rawlings | |
| 2009 | StuntmenBumble Jackson | |
| 2009 | Dark Moon RisingSunny | |
| 2009 | My Sister's KeeperNurse Adele | |
| 2009 | American CowslipLou Anne | |
| 2008 | Doggie HeavenWoman | |
| 2008 | AsylumString's Mother | |
| 2008 | Killer PadMarge | |
| 2008 | Chronic TownNurse | |
| 2008 | Starz Inside: In the GutterSelf | |
| 2007 | The ElectionThe Wife | |
| 2007 | Chasing RobertMartha the Bookie | |
| 2007 | Homo ErectusMuseum Guide | |
| 2007 | Pledge This!Miss Prin | |
| 2007 | Private PracticeMrs. Taylor | |
| 2006 | Snakes on a PlaneGrace | |
| 2006 | Surf SchoolLarry's Mom | |
| 2006 | Snoop Dogg's Hood of HorrorClara | |
| 2006 | Hoboken HollowMrs. Brodrick | |
| 2006 | Down the P.C.H.Wendy O'Hara | |
| 2006 | Bachelor Party VegasCassandra | |
| 2006 | Unbeatable HaroldJeannie | |
| 2006 | DriftwoodNancy Forrester | |
| 2005 | 2001 ManiacsGranny Boone | |
| 2005 | Hate CrimeKathleen Slansky | |
| 2005 | Drop Dead SexyMa Muzzy | |
| 2005 | Confessions of an Action StarSamantha Jones | |
| 2005 | Born KillersWillow | |
| 2005 | My Name Is EarlPaul's Mom | |
| 2005 | Made in HollywoodSelf | |
| 2004 | Who's Your Daddy?Ms. Harding | |
| 2004 | The Almost GuysRepo Boss | |
| 2004 | The Hillside StranglerJenny Buono | |
| 2004 | A Cinderella StoryMrs. Wells | |
| 2004 | CellularExotic Car Driver | |
| 2003 | Dead EndLaura Harrington | |
| 2003 | Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met LloydMargie | |
| 2003 | Stuck on YouMakeup Babe | |
| 2003 | Barely LegalTequlia | |
| 2003 | ManFastMarge | |
| 2002 | ContagionLaura Crowley | |
| 2002 | Boat TripSonya the Coach | |
| 2002 | Wish You Were DeadJinny Macintosh | |
| 2001 | Say It Isn't SoNurse Bautista | |
| 2001 | A Letter from My FatherElise | |
| 2001 | Without Charlie | |
| 2001 | Crossing JordanLeather Lauren | |
| 2000 | Attention ShoppersLibby | |
| 2000 | Me, Myself & IreneMrs. Caleron | |
| 1999 | Detroit Rock CityMrs. Bruce | |
| 1998 | There's Something About MaryMagda | |
| 1998 | Breakfast with EinsteinMiss Desmond | |
| 1998 | Living Out LoudLisa's Nurse | |
| 1998 | BeckerMrs. Cooper | |
| 1997 | Trading FavorsDarla | |
| 1997 | Perversions of ScienceNurse | |
| 1996 | KingpinLandlady | |
| 1996 | Last Man StandingThe Madame | |
| 1996 | Project: ALFWaitress | |
| 1996 | Arli$$Shurja | |
| 1995 | Nature of the BeastCarol Powell | |
| 1995 | Sketch Artist II: Hands That SeeBonnie | |
| 1995 | Trial by FirePhyliis Cardell | |
| 1994 | Wes Craven's New NightmareNurse with Pills | |
| 1994 | Even Cowgirls Get the BluesRubber Rose Maid | |
| 1994 | Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last ChapterInmate | |
| 1994 | Dumb and DumberMrs. Neugeboren | |
| 1994 | In the Line of Duty: The Price of VengeanceForeman #2 | |
| 1994 | Corrina, CorrinaRepeat Nanny | |
| 1994 | ERMargaret | |
| 1994 | My So-Called LifeParent #2 | |
| 1993 | Amityville: A New GenerationNurse Turner | |
| 1993 | The TempRosemary | |
| 1993 | Three of HeartsOperator | |
| 1993 | National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1Witness | |
| 1993 | Brain Smasher... A Love StoryMake up Artist | |
| 1993 | FrasierAnne | |
| 1992 | Roadside ProphetsCeleste | |
| 1991 | Critters 3Sal (archive footage) | |
| 1990 | Pump Up the VolumePTA Parent #3 | |
| 1990 | Book of LoveMrs. Flynn | |
| 1989 | Life Goes OnParent #2 | |
| 1988 | Critters 2Sal | |
| 1988 | Lucky StiffBratty Kid's Mom | |
| 1987 | The HiddenCarol Miller | |
| 1987 | Stillwatch | |
| 1987 | My Demon LoverAnemic Counter Girl | |
| 1987 | Slam DanceLibrarian | |
| 1987 | The Running ManPropaganda Officer | |
| 1987 | Extreme PrejudiceEmployment Office Clerk | |
| 1987 | MistressWoman Customer | |
| 1986 | CrittersSally | |
| 1985 | Brewster's MillionsJournalist at Rally | |
| 1985 | The Twilight ZoneKate Simmons (segment "Chameleon") | |
| 1984 | A Nightmare on Elm StreetTeacher | |
| 1984 | Summer FantasyWoman on Beach | |
| 1984 | Why Me? | |
| 1984 | Who's the Boss?Mrs. Padnick | |
| 1984 | Highway to HeavenLila Barnes | |
| 1982 | Jekyll and Hyde... Together AgainNurse with Telegram | |
| 1982 | Alone in the DarkReceptionist at Haven | |
| 1982 | Cagney & LaceySecretary | |
| 1981 | Falcon CrestSmoking Female Prisoner | |
| 1980 | A Cry for Love | |
| 1980 | The Long RidersKate | |
| 1979 | The Seeding of Sarah Burns2nd Nurse | |
| 1979 | The Triangle Factory Fire ScandalFreida | |
| 1978 | Goin' SouthParasol Lady | |
| 1977 | Sex and the Married WomanSandra | |
| 1977 | A Secret SpaceAmy | |
| 1977 | Eight Is EnoughBand Member | |
| 1975 | Hester StreetWhore | |
| - | The Old WorldThe Aunt (voice) | |
| - | CarrierJoan Pierson | |
| - | The Possession at Gladstone ManorNurse | |
| - | Dead of Nowhere 3DMeemaw | |
| - | Before Memory | |
| - | DevotedAunt Dottie | |
| - | The Bench | |
| - | Jackson's HoleNetter | |
| - | Mascotland |
| 2026 | Scared to DeathExecutive Producer | |
| 2025 | House of AbrahamExecutive Producer | |
| 2024 | The Last Stand of Ellen ColeExecutive Producer | |
| 2020 | DreamkatcherExecutive Producer | |
| 2019 | Room for RentCo-Producer |














