Lin Shaye
Born: 1943-10-12 in Detroit, Michigan, USA
Known For: Acting
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.
Filmography
2026
- Insidious: Out of the Further as Elise Rainier
- Scared to Death as Max
2025
- Common Side Effects as Sonia (voice)
- House of Abraham
- 1000 Women in Horror as Self
2024
- The Last Stand of Ellen Cole as Ellen
2023
- Insidious: The Red Door as Elise Rainier
2022
- Frank and Penelope as Ophelia
- Living with Chucky as Self
- Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story as Self
- We Are Gathered Here Today as Jean Cole
- Remote as Kane
- Pines as Julie (voice)
2021
- Behind the Monsters as Self
- Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman as Mrs. Bundy
2020
- Penny Dreadful: City of Angels as Dottie Minter
- Dead Talk Live as Self - Guest
- The Call as Edith Cranston
- Darkness Falls as Angela Anderson
- Dreamkatcher as Ruth
- The Voices as The Vagabond
- Max Reload and the Nether Blasters as Mrs. Wylder
- The Horror Crowd as Self
2019
- The Grudge as Faith Matheson
- The Final Wish as Kate Hammond
- Room for Rent as Joyce
- Ambition as Lady Bum
- Get Gone as Mama
- Gothic Harvest as Griselda
2018
- Eli Roth's History of Horror as Self
- Insidious: The Last Key as Elise Rainier
- Herbert West: Reanimator as Meredith
- The Main Course: The Making of Critters 2 as Self
- They Bite!: The Making of Critters as Self
- Los Angeles Overnight as Cousins
2017
- Mountain Top as Muriel Miller
- The Black Room as Miss Black
- Buster's Mal Heart as Pauline
- Grow House as Mrs. Gilliam
- All About the Money as Mrs. Womack
2016
- Ouija: Origin of Evil as Old Paulina Zander
- The Midnight Man as Anna
- Abattoir as Allie
- Jack Goes Home as Teresa
- Director's Cut as Captain Wheeler
- Texas Heart as Mrs. Smith
2015
- Insidious: Chapter 3 as Elise Rainier
- Tales of Halloween as Lynn's Mother
- Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as The Grand Lady
- Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves as Helen Keller
2014
- Ouija as Paulina Zander
- The Signal as Mirabelle
- Grace as Helen
- Lost Time as Mysterious Woman
2013
- Insidious: Chapter 2 as Elise Rainier
- Crazy Kind of Love as Denise Mack
- Big Ass Spider! as Mrs. Jefferson
- Noobz as Mrs. Theodore
- All American Christmas Carol as Barbara Belnap
2012
- EastSiders as Diane
- The Three Stooges as Nurse Crotchet
- Jewtopia as Dr. Sutton
- Matchmaker Santa as Debbie
- FDR: American Badass! as Eleanor Roosevelt
- 3 Days of Normal as May
- Life's an Itch as Gloria
- Waffle Hut as Jerrie Wolf
2011
- Insidious as Elise Rainier
- Chillerama as Baglady / Nurse Maleva
- A Good Old Fashioned Orgy as Dody
- Take Me Home as Jill
- Rosewood Lane as Mrs. Hawthorne
- Sedona as Claire
- I Was a Teenage Werebear
- Goldberg - P.I. as Violet
2010
- Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy as Self
- The Penthouse as Frances
- 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams as Granny Boone
- Small Town Saturday Night as Phyllis Ryan
- Next Stop Murder as Detective Reeson
- The Land of the Astronauts
- Pickin' and Grinnin' as Bonnie Johnson
- Farewell Mr. Kringle as Zelda
- VideoDome Rent-O-Rama as The Lush
- Killer by Nature as Leona
- The Accidental Death of Joey by Sue as Mrs. Rawlings
2009
- My Sister's Keeper as Nurse Adele
- American Cowslip as Lou Anne
- Stuntmen as Bumble Jackson
- Dark Moon Rising as Sunny
2008
- Asylum as String's Mother
- Killer Pad as Marge
- Doggie Heaven as Woman
- Starz Inside: In the Gutter as Self
- Chronic Town as Nurse
2007
- Private Practice as Mrs. Taylor
- Pledge This! as Miss Prin
- Homo Erectus as Museum Guide
- Chasing Robert as Martha the Bookie
- The Election as The Wife
2006
- Snakes on a Plane as Grace
- Bachelor Party Vegas as Cassandra
- Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror as Clara
- Surf School as Larry's Mom
- Driftwood as Nancy Forrester
- Hoboken Hollow as Mrs. Brodrick
- Unbeatable Harold as Jeannie
- Down the P.C.H. as Wendy O'Hara
2005
- My Name Is Earl as Paul's Mom
- Made in Hollywood as Self
- 2001 Maniacs as Granny Boone
- Drop Dead Sexy as Ma Muzzy
- Confessions of an Action Star as Samantha Jones
- Hate Crime as Kathleen Slansky
- Born Killers as Willow
2004
- A Cinderella Story as Mrs. Wells
- Cellular as Exotic Car Driver
- Who's Your Daddy? as Ms. Harding
- The Hillside Strangler as Jenny Buono
- The Almost Guys as Repo Boss
2003
- Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd as Margie
- Barely Legal as Tequlia
- Stuck on You as Makeup Babe
- Dead End as Laura Harrington
- ManFast as Marge
2002
- Boat Trip as Sonya the Coach
- Contagion as Laura Crowley
- Wish You Were Dead as Jinny Macintosh
2001
- Crossing Jordan as Leather Lauren
- Say It Isn't So as Nurse Bautista
- Without Charlie
- A Letter from My Father as Elise
2000
- Me, Myself & Irene as Mrs. Caleron
- Attention Shoppers as Libby
1999
- Detroit Rock City as Mrs. Bruce
1998
- Becker as Mrs. Cooper
- There's Something About Mary as Magda
- Living Out Loud as Lisa's Nurse
- Breakfast with Einstein as Miss Desmond
1997
- Perversions of Science as Nurse
- Trading Favors as Darla
1996
- Arli$$ as Shurja
- Last Man Standing as The Madame
- Kingpin as Landlady
- Project: ALF as Waitress
1995
- Trial by Fire as Phyliis Cardell
- Sketch Artist II: Hands That See as Bonnie
- Nature of the Beast as Carol Powell
1994
- ER as Margaret
- Dumb and Dumber as Mrs. Neugeboren
- My So-Called Life as Parent #2
- Wes Craven's New Nightmare as Nurse with Pills
- Corrina, Corrina as Repeat Nanny
- Even Cowgirls Get the Blues as Rubber Rose Maid
- In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance as Foreman #2
- Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last Chapter as Inmate
1993
- Frasier as Anne
- National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 as Witness
- Amityville: A New Generation as Nurse Turner
- The Temp as Rosemary
- Three of Hearts as Operator
- Brain Smasher... A Love Story as Make up Artist
1992
- Roadside Prophets as Celeste
1991
- Critters 3 as Sal (archive footage)
1990
- Pump Up the Volume as PTA Parent #3
- Book of Love as Mrs. Flynn
1989
- Life Goes On as Parent #2
1988
- Critters 2 as Sal
- Lucky Stiff as Bratty Kid's Mom
1987
- The Running Man as Propaganda Officer
- The Hidden as Carol Miller
- Extreme Prejudice as Employment Office Clerk
- Slam Dance as Librarian
- My Demon Lover as Anemic Counter Girl
- Stillwatch
- Mistress as Woman Customer
1986
- Critters as Sally
1985
- The Twilight Zone as Kate Simmons (segment "Chameleon")
- Brewster's Millions as Journalist at Rally
1984
- Highway to Heaven as Lila Barnes
- Who's the Boss? as Mrs. Padnick
- A Nightmare on Elm Street as Teacher
- Summer Fantasy as Woman on Beach
- Why Me?
1982
- Cagney & Lacey as Secretary
- Alone in the Dark as Receptionist at Haven
- Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again as Nurse with Telegram
1981
- Falcon Crest as Smoking Female Prisoner
1980
- The Long Riders as Kate
- A Cry for Love
1979
- The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal as Freida
- The Seeding of Sarah Burns as 2nd Nurse
1978
- Goin' South as Parasol Lady
1977
- Eight Is Enough as Band Member
- Sex and the Married Woman as Sandra
- A Secret Space as Amy
1975
- Hester Street as Whore