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Lin Shaye

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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

Acting
2026Scared to DeathMax
2026Insidious: The Bleeding WorldElise Rainier
2025House of Abraham
20251000 Women in HorrorSelf
2025Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror MoviesSelf - (archive footage)
2025Common Side EffectsSonia (voice)
2024The Last Stand of Ellen ColeEllen
2023Insidious: The Red DoorElise Rainier
2022Frank and PenelopeOphelia
2022PinesJulie (voice)
2022We Are Gathered Here TodayJean Cole
2022Living with ChuckySelf
2022RemoteKane
2022Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund StorySelf
2021Ted Bundy: American BoogeymanMrs. Bundy
2021Behind the MonstersSelf
2020Darkness FallsAngela Anderson
2020DreamkatcherRuth
2020The VoicesThe Vagabond
2020Max Reload and the Nether BlastersMrs. Wylder
2020The Horror CrowdSelf
2020The CallEdith Cranston
2020Dead Talk LiveSelf - Guest
2020Penny Dreadful: City of AngelsDottie Minter
2019The GrudgeFaith Matheson
2019The Final WishKate Hammond
2019Room for RentJoyce
2019Gothic HarvestGriselda
2019Get GoneMama
2019AmbitionLady Bum
2018The Main Course: The Making of Critters 2Self
2018Insidious: The Last KeyElise Rainier
2018Herbert West: ReanimatorMeredith
2018They Bite!: The Making of CrittersSelf
2018Los Angeles OvernightCousins
2018Eli Roth's History of HorrorSelf
2017Grow HouseMrs. Gilliam
2017Buster's Mal HeartPauline
2017The Black RoomMiss Black
2017All About the MoneyMrs. Womack
2017Mountain TopMuriel Miller
2016Director's CutCaptain Wheeler
2016Jack Goes HomeTeresa
2016AbattoirAllie
2016Texas HeartMrs. Smith
2016Ouija: Origin of EvilOld Paulina Zander
2016The Midnight ManAnna
2015Insidious: Chapter 3Elise Rainier
2015Helen Keller vs. NightwolvesHelen Keller
2015Tales of HalloweenLynn's Mother
2015Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La ManchaThe Grand Lady
2014The SignalMirabelle
2014Lost TimeMysterious Woman
2014GraceHelen
2014OuijaPaulina Zander
2013Insidious: Chapter 2Elise Rainier
2013Crazy Kind of LoveDenise Mack
2013Big Ass Spider!Mrs. Jefferson
2013All American Christmas CarolBarbara Belnap
2013NoobzMrs. Theodore
2012FDR: American Badass!Eleanor Roosevelt
20123 Days of NormalMay
2012Life's an ItchGloria
2012The Three StoogesNurse Crotchet
2012JewtopiaDr. Sutton
2012Waffle HutJerrie Wolf
2012Matchmaker SantaDebbie
2012EastSidersDiane
2011InsidiousElise Rainier
2011Take Me HomeJill
2011SedonaClaire
2011ChilleramaBaglady / Nurse Maleva
2011I Was a Teenage Werebear
2011Rosewood LaneMrs. Hawthorne
2011A Good Old Fashioned OrgyDody
2011Goldberg - P.I.Violet
20102001 Maniacs: Field of ScreamsGranny Boone
2010Killer by NatureLeona
2010Next Stop MurderDetective Reeson
2010Farewell Mr. KringleZelda
2010Pickin' and Grinnin'Bonnie Johnson
2010The PenthouseFrances
2010Small Town Saturday NightPhyllis Ryan
2010The Land of the Astronauts
2010VideoDome Rent-O-RamaThe Lush
2010Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street LegacySelf
2010The Accidental Death of Joey by SueMrs. Rawlings
2009StuntmenBumble Jackson
2009Dark Moon RisingSunny
2009My Sister's KeeperNurse Adele
2009American CowslipLou Anne
2008Doggie HeavenWoman
2008AsylumString's Mother
2008Killer PadMarge
2008Chronic TownNurse
2008Starz Inside: In the GutterSelf
2007The ElectionThe Wife
2007Chasing RobertMartha the Bookie
2007Homo ErectusMuseum Guide
2007Pledge This!Miss Prin
2007Private PracticeMrs. Taylor
2006Snakes on a PlaneGrace
2006Surf SchoolLarry's Mom
2006Snoop Dogg's Hood of HorrorClara
2006Hoboken HollowMrs. Brodrick
2006Down the P.C.H.Wendy O'Hara
2006Bachelor Party VegasCassandra
2006Unbeatable HaroldJeannie
2006DriftwoodNancy Forrester
20052001 ManiacsGranny Boone
2005Hate CrimeKathleen Slansky
2005Drop Dead SexyMa Muzzy
2005Confessions of an Action StarSamantha Jones
2005Born KillersWillow
2005My Name Is EarlPaul's Mom
2005Made in HollywoodSelf
2004Who's Your Daddy?Ms. Harding
2004The Almost GuysRepo Boss
2004The Hillside StranglerJenny Buono
2004A Cinderella StoryMrs. Wells
2004CellularExotic Car Driver
2003Dead EndLaura Harrington
2003Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met LloydMargie
2003Stuck on YouMakeup Babe
2003Barely LegalTequlia
2003ManFastMarge
2002ContagionLaura Crowley
2002Boat TripSonya the Coach
2002Wish You Were DeadJinny Macintosh
2001Say It Isn't SoNurse Bautista
2001A Letter from My FatherElise
2001Without Charlie
2001Crossing JordanLeather Lauren
2000Attention ShoppersLibby
2000Me, Myself & IreneMrs. Caleron
1999Detroit Rock CityMrs. Bruce
1998There's Something About MaryMagda
1998Breakfast with EinsteinMiss Desmond
1998Living Out LoudLisa's Nurse
1998BeckerMrs. Cooper
1997Trading FavorsDarla
1997Perversions of ScienceNurse
1996KingpinLandlady
1996Last Man StandingThe Madame
1996Project: ALFWaitress
1996Arli$$Shurja
1995Nature of the BeastCarol Powell
1995Sketch Artist II: Hands That SeeBonnie
1995Trial by FirePhyliis Cardell
1994Wes Craven's New NightmareNurse with Pills
1994Even Cowgirls Get the BluesRubber Rose Maid
1994Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last ChapterInmate
1994Dumb and DumberMrs. Neugeboren
1994In the Line of Duty: The Price of VengeanceForeman #2
1994Corrina, CorrinaRepeat Nanny
1994ERMargaret
1994My So-Called LifeParent #2
1993Amityville: A New GenerationNurse Turner
1993The TempRosemary
1993Three of HeartsOperator
1993National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1Witness
1993Brain Smasher... A Love StoryMake up Artist
1993FrasierAnne
1992Roadside ProphetsCeleste
1991Critters 3Sal (archive footage)
1990Pump Up the VolumePTA Parent #3
1990Book of LoveMrs. Flynn
1989Life Goes OnParent #2
1988Critters 2Sal
1988Lucky StiffBratty Kid's Mom
1987The HiddenCarol Miller
1987Stillwatch
1987My Demon LoverAnemic Counter Girl
1987Slam DanceLibrarian
1987The Running ManPropaganda Officer
1987Extreme PrejudiceEmployment Office Clerk
1987MistressWoman Customer
1986CrittersSally
1985Brewster's MillionsJournalist at Rally
1985The Twilight ZoneKate Simmons (segment "Chameleon")
1984A Nightmare on Elm StreetTeacher
1984Summer FantasyWoman on Beach
1984Why Me?
1984Who's the Boss?Mrs. Padnick
1984Highway to HeavenLila Barnes
1982Jekyll and Hyde... Together AgainNurse with Telegram
1982Alone in the DarkReceptionist at Haven
1982Cagney & LaceySecretary
1981Falcon CrestSmoking Female Prisoner
1980A Cry for Love
1980The Long RidersKate
1979The Seeding of Sarah Burns2nd Nurse
1979The Triangle Factory Fire ScandalFreida
1978Goin' SouthParasol Lady
1977Sex and the Married WomanSandra
1977A Secret SpaceAmy
1977Eight Is EnoughBand Member
1975Hester 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
Production
2026Scared to DeathExecutive Producer
2025House of AbrahamExecutive Producer
2024The Last Stand of Ellen ColeExecutive Producer
2020DreamkatcherExecutive Producer
2019Room for RentCo-Producer