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 (2020), Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman (2021), and the Insidious film series (2010–2023). 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: The Bleeding World as Elise Rainier
2025
- Common Side Effects as Sonia (voice)
- Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies as Self - (archive footage)
- House of Abraham
- 1000 Women in Horror as Self
2024
- The Last Stand of Ellen Cole as Ellen
- Scared to Death as Max
2023
- Insidious: The Red Door as Elise Rainier
2022
- Pines as Julie (voice)
- Frank and Penelope as Ophelia
- Living with Chucky as Self
- We Are Gathered Here Today as Jean Cole
- Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story as Self
- Remote as Kane
2021
- Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman as Mrs. Bundy
- Behind the Monsters as Self
2020
- The Voices as The Vagabond
- The Call as Edith Cranston
- Darkness Falls as Angela Anderson
- Dreamkatcher as Ruth
- Penny Dreadful: City of Angels as Dottie Minter
- Max Reload and the Nether Blasters as Mrs. Wylder
- The Horror Crowd as Self
- Dead Talk Live as Self - Guest
2019
- Gothic Harvest as Griselda
- Ambition as Lady Bum
- Room for Rent as Joyce
- The Final Wish as Kate Hammond
- The Grudge as Faith Matheson
- Get Gone as Mama
2018
- Eli Roth's History of Horror as Self
- Insidious: The Last Key as Elise Rainier
- The Main Course: The Making of Critters 2 as Self
- They Bite!: The Making of Critters as Self
- Los Angeles Overnight as Cousins
- Herbert West: Reanimator as Meredith
2017
- Mountain Top as Muriel Miller
- Grow House as Mrs. Gilliam
- The Black Room as Miss Black
- Buster's Mal Heart as Pauline
- All About the Money as Mrs. Womack
2016
- Texas Heart as Mrs. Smith
- Ouija: Origin of Evil as Old Paulina Zander
- Abattoir as Allie
- Jack Goes Home as Teresa
- Director's Cut as Captain Wheeler
- The Midnight Man as Anna
2015
- Insidious: Chapter 3 as Elise Rainier
- Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as The Grand Lady
- Tales of Halloween as Lynn's Mother
- Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves as Helen Keller
2014
- The Signal as Mirabelle
- Lost Time as Mysterious Woman
- Grace as Helen
- Ouija as Paulina Zander
2013
- Insidious: Chapter 2 as Elise Rainier
- Noobz as Mrs. Theodore
- All American Christmas Carol as Barbara Belnap
- Crazy Kind of Love as Denise Mack
- Big Ass Spider! as Mrs. Jefferson
2012
- Matchmaker Santa as Debbie
- Jewtopia as Dr. Sutton
- Waffle Hut as Jerrie Wolf
- The Three Stooges as Nurse Crotchet
- EastSiders as Diane
- FDR: American Badass! as Eleanor Roosevelt
- 3 Days of Normal as May
- Life's an Itch as Gloria
2011
- Insidious as Elise Rainier
- Rosewood Lane as Mrs. Hawthorne
- Chillerama as Baglady / Nurse Maleva
- Sedona as Claire
- Take Me Home as Jill
- A Good Old Fashioned Orgy as Dody
- I Was a Teenage Werebear
- Goldberg - P.I. as Violet
2010
- 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams as Granny Boone
- The Penthouse as Frances
- Farewell Mr. Kringle as Zelda
- Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy as Self
- The Land of the Astronauts
- Killer by Nature as Leona
- Pickin' and Grinnin' as Bonnie Johnson
- Small Town Saturday Night as Phyllis Ryan
- VideoDome Rent-O-Rama as The Lush
- Next Stop Murder as Detective Reeson
- The Accidental Death of Joey by Sue as Mrs. Rawlings
2009
- My Sister's Keeper as Nurse Adele
- Stuntmen as Bumble Jackson
- Dark Moon Rising as Sunny
- American Cowslip as Lou Anne
2008
- Asylum as String's Mother
- Killer Pad as Marge
- Doggie Heaven as Woman
- Chronic Town as Nurse
- Starz Inside: In the Gutter as Self
2007
- Private Practice as Mrs. Taylor
- Homo Erectus as Museum Guide
- Chasing Robert as Martha the Bookie
- The Election as The Wife
- Pledge This! as Miss Prin
2006
- Surf School as Larry's Mom
- Down the P.C.H. as Wendy O'Hara
- Hoboken Hollow as Mrs. Brodrick
- Driftwood as Nancy Forrester
- Unbeatable Harold as Jeannie
- Snakes on a Plane as Grace
- Bachelor Party Vegas as Cassandra
- Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror as Clara
2005
- My Name Is Earl as Paul's Mom
- 2001 Maniacs as Granny Boone
- Made in Hollywood as Self
- Born Killers as Willow
- Hate Crime as Kathleen Slansky
- Confessions of an Action Star as Samantha Jones
- Drop Dead Sexy as Ma Muzzy
2004
- A Cinderella Story as Mrs. Wells
- The Hillside Strangler as Jenny Buono
- Cellular as Exotic Car Driver
- Who's Your Daddy? as Ms. Harding
- 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
- Contagion as Laura Crowley
- Boat Trip as Sonya the Coach
- Wish You Were Dead as Jinny Macintosh
2001
- Crossing Jordan as Leather Lauren
- Without Charlie
- Say It Isn't So as Nurse Bautista
- 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
- Trading Favors as Darla
- Perversions of Science as Nurse
1996
- Kingpin as Landlady
- Project: ALF as Waitress
- Last Man Standing as The Madame
1995
- Nature of the Beast as Carol Powell
- Sketch Artist II: Hands That See as Bonnie
- Trial by Fire as Phyliis Cardell
1994
- ER as Margaret
- Dumb and Dumber as Mrs. Neugeboren
- Corrina, Corrina as Repeat Nanny
- My So-Called Life as Parent #2
- New Nightmare as Nurse with Pills
- 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
- Three of Hearts as Operator
- Brain Smasher... A Love Story as Make up Artist
- The Temp as Rosemary
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
- Lucky Stiff as Bratty Kid's Mom
- Critters 2 as Sal
1987
- The Running Man as Propaganda Officer
- Slam Dance as Librarian
- The Hidden as Carol Miller
- Extreme Prejudice as Employment Office Clerk
- Stillwatch
- My Demon Lover as Anemic Counter Girl
- 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
- Why Me?
- Summer Fantasy as Woman on Beach
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 Seeding of Sarah Burns as 2nd Nurse
- The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal as Freida
1978
- Goin' South as Parasol Lady
1977
- Eight Is Enough as Band Member
- A Secret Space as Amy
- Sex and the Married Woman as Sandra
1975
- Hester Street as Whore