Lin Shaye

Lin Shaye

Known for
Acting
Born
October 12, 1943 (age 83)
Birthplace
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

Filmography

—
The Old World poster

The Old World

Movie · as The Aunt (voice)

—
Carrier

Carrier

Movie · as Joan Pierson

—
The Possession at Gladstone Manor

The Possession at Gladstone Manor

Movie · as Nurse

—
Dead of Nowhere 3D

Dead of Nowhere 3D

Movie · as Meemaw

—
Before Memory poster

Before Memory

Movie

—
Devoted

Devoted

Movie · as Aunt Dottie

—
The Bench

The Bench

Movie

—
Jackson's Hole poster

Jackson's Hole

Movie · as Netter

—
Mascotland poster

Mascotland

Movie

2026
Scared to Death poster

Scared to Death

Movie · as Max

2026
Insidious: Out of the Further poster

Insidious: Out of the Further

Movie · as Elise Rainier

2025
House of Abraham poster

House of Abraham

Movie

2025
1000 Women in Horror poster

1000 Women in Horror

Movie · as Self

2025
Common Side Effects poster

Common Side Effects

TV · as Sonia (voice) · 3 eps

2024
The Last Stand of Ellen Cole poster

The Last Stand of Ellen Cole

Movie · as Ellen

2023
Insidious: The Red Door poster

Insidious: The Red Door

Movie · as Elise Rainier

2022
Frank and Penelope poster

Frank and Penelope

Movie · as Ophelia

2022
Pines poster

Pines

Movie · as Julie (voice)

2022
We Are Gathered Here Today poster

We Are Gathered Here Today

Movie · as Jean Cole

2022
Living with Chucky poster

Living with Chucky

Movie · as Self

2022
Remote poster

Remote

Movie · as Kane

2022
Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story poster

Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story

Movie · as Self

2022
The Quarry: Movie Mode poster

The Quarry: Movie Mode

Movie · as Constance Hackett

2021
Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman poster

Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman

Movie · as Mrs. Bundy

2021
Behind the Monsters poster

Behind the Monsters

TV · as Self · 6 eps

2021
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards poster

Fangoria Chainsaw Awards

TV · as Self - Presenter · 1 ep

2020
Darkness Falls poster

Darkness Falls

Movie · as Angela Anderson

2020
Dreamkatcher poster

Dreamkatcher

Movie · as Ruth

2020
The Voices poster

The Voices

Movie · as The Vagabond

2020
Max Reload and the Nether Blasters poster

Max Reload and the Nether Blasters

Movie · as Mrs. Wylder

2020
The Horror Crowd poster

The Horror Crowd

Movie · as Self

2020
The Call poster

The Call

Movie · as Edith Cranston

2020
Dead Talk Live poster

Dead Talk Live

TV · as Self - Guest · 2 eps

2020
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels poster

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels

TV · as Dottie Minter · 6 eps

2019
The Grudge poster

The Grudge

Movie · as Faith Matheson

2019
The Final Wish poster

The Final Wish

Movie · as Kate Hammond

2019
Room for Rent poster

Room for Rent

Movie · as Joyce

2019
Gothic Harvest poster

Gothic Harvest

Movie · as Griselda

2019
Get Gone poster

Get Gone

Movie · as Mama

2019
Ambition poster

Ambition

Movie · as Lady Bum

2018
The Main Course: The Making of Critters 2 poster

The Main Course: The Making of Critters 2

Movie · as Self

2018
Insidious: The Last Key poster

Insidious: The Last Key

Movie · as Elise Rainier

2018
Herbert West: Reanimator poster

Herbert West: Reanimator

Movie · as Meredith

2018
They Bite!: The Making of Critters poster

They Bite!: The Making of Critters

Movie · as Self

2018
Los Angeles Overnight poster

Los Angeles Overnight

Movie · as Cousins

2018
Eli Roth's History of Horror poster

Eli Roth's History of Horror

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2017
Grow House poster

Grow House

Movie · as Mrs. Gilliam

2017
Buster's Mal Heart poster

Buster's Mal Heart

Movie · as Pauline

2017
The Black Room poster

The Black Room

Movie · as Miss Black

2017
All About the Money poster

All About the Money

Movie · as Mrs. Womack

2017
Mountain Top poster

Mountain Top

Movie · as Muriel Miller

2016
Director's Cut poster

Director's Cut

Movie · as Captain Wheeler

2016
Jack Goes Home poster

Jack Goes Home

Movie · as Teresa

2016
Abattoir poster

Abattoir

Movie · as Allie

2016
Texas Heart poster

Texas Heart

Movie · as Mrs. Smith

2016
Ouija: Origin of Evil poster

Ouija: Origin of Evil

Movie · as Old Paulina Zander

2016
The Midnight Man poster

The Midnight Man

Movie · as Anna

2015
Insidious: Chapter 3 poster

Insidious: Chapter 3

Movie · as Elise Rainier

2015
Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves poster

Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves

Movie · as Helen Keller

2015
Tales of Halloween poster

Tales of Halloween

Movie · as Lynn's Mother

2015
Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha poster

Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha

Movie · as The Grand Lady

2014
The Signal poster

The Signal

Movie · as Mirabelle

2014
Lost Time poster

Lost Time

Movie · as Mysterious Woman

2014
Grace poster

Grace

Movie · as Helen

2014
Ouija poster

Ouija

Movie · as Paulina Zander

2013
Insidious: Chapter 2 poster

Insidious: Chapter 2

Movie · as Elise Rainier

2013
Crazy Kind of Love poster

Crazy Kind of Love

Movie · as Denise Mack

2013
Big Ass Spider! poster

Big Ass Spider!

Movie · as Mrs. Jefferson

2013
All American Christmas Carol poster

All American Christmas Carol

Movie · as Barbara Belnap

2013
Noobz poster

Noobz

Movie · as Mrs. Theodore

2013
Insidious: Spectral Sightings poster

Insidious: Spectral Sightings

TV · as Elise · 3 eps

2012
FDR: American Badass! poster

FDR: American Badass!

Movie · as Eleanor Roosevelt

2012
3 Days of Normal poster

3 Days of Normal

Movie · as May

2012
Life's an Itch poster

Life's an Itch

Movie · as Gloria

2012
The Three Stooges poster

The Three Stooges

Movie · as Nurse Crotchet

2012
Jewtopia poster

Jewtopia

Movie · as Dr. Sutton

2012
Waffle Hut poster

Waffle Hut

Movie · as Jerrie Wolf

2012
Matchmaker Santa poster

Matchmaker Santa

Movie · as Debbie

2012
EastSiders poster

EastSiders

TV · as Diane · 1 ep

2011
Insidious poster

Insidious

Movie · as Elise Rainier

2011
Take Me Home poster

Take Me Home

Movie · as Jill

2011
Sedona poster

Sedona

Movie · as Claire

2011
Chillerama poster

Chillerama

Movie · as Baglady / Nurse Maleva

2011
I Was a Teenage Werebear poster

I Was a Teenage Werebear

Movie

2011
Rosewood Lane poster

Rosewood Lane

Movie · as Mrs. Hawthorne

2011
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy poster

A Good Old Fashioned Orgy

Movie · as Dody

2011
Goldberg - P.I. poster

Goldberg - P.I.

Movie · as Violet

2010
2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams poster

2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams

Movie · as Granny Boone

2010
Killer by Nature poster

Killer by Nature

Movie · as Leona

2010
Next Stop Murder poster

Next Stop Murder

Movie · as Detective Reeson

2010
Farewell Mr. Kringle poster

Farewell Mr. Kringle

Movie · as Zelda

2010
Pickin' and Grinnin'

Pickin' and Grinnin'

Movie · as Bonnie Johnson

2010
The Penthouse poster

The Penthouse

Movie · as Frances

2010
Small Town Saturday Night poster

Small Town Saturday Night

Movie · as Phyllis Ryan

2010
The Land of the Astronauts poster

The Land of the Astronauts

Movie

2010
VideoDome Rent-O-Rama poster

VideoDome Rent-O-Rama

Movie · as The Lush

2010
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy poster

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy

Movie · as Self

2010
The Accidental Death of Joey by Sue poster

The Accidental Death of Joey by Sue

Movie · as Mrs. Rawlings

2009
Stuntmen poster

Stuntmen

Movie · as Bumble Jackson

2009
Dark Moon Rising poster

Dark Moon Rising

Movie · as Sunny

2009
My Sister's Keeper poster

My Sister's Keeper

Movie · as Nurse Adele

2009
American Cowslip poster

American Cowslip

Movie · as Lou Anne

2008
Doggie Heaven poster

Doggie Heaven

Movie · as Woman

2008
Asylum poster

Asylum

Movie · as String's Mother

2008
Killer Pad poster

Killer Pad

Movie · as Marge

2008
Chronic Town poster

Chronic Town

Movie · as Nurse

2008
Starz Inside: In the Gutter poster

Starz Inside: In the Gutter

Movie · as Self

2007
The Election poster

The Election

Movie · as The Wife

2007
Chasing Robert poster

Chasing Robert

Movie · as Martha the Bookie

2007
Homo Erectus poster

Homo Erectus

Movie · as Museum Guide

2007
Pledge This! poster

Pledge This!

Movie · as Miss Prin

2007
Snakes on a Plane: Meet the Reptiles poster

Snakes on a Plane: Meet the Reptiles

Movie · as Self

2007
Snakes on a Set: Behind the Scenes poster

Snakes on a Set: Behind the Scenes

Movie · as Self

2007
The Snake Pit: On the Set of 'Snakes on a Plane' poster

The Snake Pit: On the Set of 'Snakes on a Plane'

Movie · as Self

2007
Private Practice poster

Private Practice

TV · as Mrs. Taylor · 1 ep

2006
Snakes on a Plane poster

Snakes on a Plane

Movie · as Grace

2006
Surf School poster

Surf School

Movie · as Larry's Mom

2006
Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror poster

Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror

Movie · as Clara

2006
Hoboken Hollow poster

Hoboken Hollow

Movie · as Mrs. Brodrick

2006
Down the P.C.H. poster

Down the P.C.H.

Movie · as Wendy O'Hara

2006
Bachelor Party Vegas poster

Bachelor Party Vegas

Movie · as Cassandra

2006
Unbeatable Harold poster

Unbeatable Harold

Movie · as Jeannie

2006
Driftwood poster

Driftwood

Movie · as Nancy Forrester

2006
Pure Venom: The Making of Snakes on a Plane poster

Pure Venom: The Making of Snakes on a Plane

Movie · as Self

2005
2001 Maniacs poster

2001 Maniacs

Movie · as Granny Boone

2005
Hate Crime poster

Hate Crime

Movie · as Kathleen Slansky

2005
Drop Dead Sexy poster

Drop Dead Sexy

Movie · as Ma Muzzy

2005
Confessions of an Action Star poster

Confessions of an Action Star

Movie · as Samantha Jones

2005
Born Killers poster

Born Killers

Movie · as Willow

2005
My Name Is Earl poster

My Name Is Earl

TV · as Paul's Mom · 1 ep

2005
Made in Hollywood poster

Made in Hollywood

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2004
Who's Your Daddy? poster

Who's Your Daddy?

Movie · as Ms. Harding

2004
The Almost Guys poster

The Almost Guys

Movie · as Repo Boss

2004
The Hillside Strangler poster

The Hillside Strangler

Movie · as Jenny Buono

2004
A Cinderella Story poster

A Cinderella Story

Movie · as Mrs. Wells

2004
Cellular poster

Cellular

Movie · as Exotic Car Driver

2003
Dead End poster

Dead End

Movie · as Laura Harrington

2003
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd poster

Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd

Movie · as Margie

2003
Stuck on You poster

Stuck on You

Movie · as Makeup Babe

2003
Barely Legal poster

Barely Legal

Movie · as Tequlia

2003
ManFast poster

ManFast

Movie · as Marge

2002
Contagion poster

Contagion

Movie · as Laura Crowley

2002
Boat Trip poster

Boat Trip

Movie · as Sonya the Coach

2002
Wish You Were Dead poster

Wish You Were Dead

Movie · as Jinny Macintosh

2001
Say It Isn't So poster

Say It Isn't So

Movie · as Nurse Bautista

2001
A Letter from My Father

A Letter from My Father

Movie · as Elise

2001
Without Charlie

Without Charlie

Movie

2001
Crossing Jordan poster

Crossing Jordan

TV · as Leather Lauren · 1 ep

2000
Attention Shoppers poster

Attention Shoppers

Movie · as Libby

2000
Me, Myself & Irene poster

Me, Myself & Irene

Movie · as Mrs. Caleron

1999
Detroit Rock City poster

Detroit Rock City

Movie · as Mrs. Bruce

1998
There's Something About Mary poster

There's Something About Mary

Movie · as Magda

1998
Breakfast with Einstein poster

Breakfast with Einstein

Movie · as Miss Desmond

1998
Living Out Loud poster

Living Out Loud

Movie · as Lisa's Nurse

1998
Becker poster

Becker

TV · as Mrs. Cooper · 1 ep

1997
Trading Favors poster

Trading Favors

Movie · as Darla

1997
Perversions of Science poster

Perversions of Science

TV · as Nurse · 1 ep

1996
Kingpin poster

Kingpin

Movie · as Landlady

1996
Last Man Standing poster

Last Man Standing

Movie · as The Madame

1996
Project: ALF poster

Project: ALF

Movie · as Waitress

1996
Arli$$ poster

Arli$$

TV · as Shurja · 1 ep

1995
Nature of the Beast poster

Nature of the Beast

Movie · as Carol Powell

1995
Sketch Artist II: Hands That See poster

Sketch Artist II: Hands That See

Movie · as Bonnie

1995
Trial by Fire poster

Trial by Fire

Movie · as Phyliis Cardell

1994
Wes Craven's New Nightmare poster

Wes Craven's New Nightmare

Movie · as Nurse with Pills

1994
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues poster

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

Movie · as Rubber Rose Maid

1994
Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last Chapter poster

Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last Chapter

Movie · as Inmate

1994
Dumb and Dumber poster

Dumb and Dumber

Movie · as Mrs. Neugeboren

1994
In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance poster

In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance

Movie · as Foreman #2

1994
Corrina, Corrina poster

Corrina, Corrina

Movie · as Repeat Nanny

1994
ER poster

ER

TV · as Margaret · 1 ep

1994
My So-Called Life poster

My So-Called Life

TV · as Parent #2 · 1 ep

1993
Amityville: A New Generation poster

Amityville: A New Generation

Movie · as Nurse Turner

1993
The Temp poster

The Temp

Movie · as Rosemary

1993
Three of Hearts poster

Three of Hearts

Movie · as Operator

1993
National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 poster

National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1

Movie · as Witness

1993
Brain Smasher... A Love Story poster

Brain Smasher... A Love Story

Movie · as Make up Artist

1993
The Hidden II poster

The Hidden II

Movie · as Carol Miller (archive footage)

1993
Frasier poster

Frasier

TV · as Anne · 1 ep

1992
Roadside Prophets poster

Roadside Prophets

Movie · as Celeste

1991
Critters 3 poster

Critters 3

Movie · as Sal (archive footage)

1990
Pump Up the Volume poster

Pump Up the Volume

Movie · as PTA Parent #3

1990
Book of Love poster

Book of Love

Movie · as Mrs. Flynn

1989
Life Goes On poster

Life Goes On

TV · as Parent #2 · 1 ep

1988
Critters 2 poster

Critters 2

Movie · as Sal

1988
Lucky Stiff poster

Lucky Stiff

Movie · as Bratty Kid's Mom

1987
The Hidden poster

The Hidden

Movie · as Carol Miller

1987
Stillwatch poster

Stillwatch

Movie

1987
My Demon Lover poster

My Demon Lover

Movie · as Anemic Counter Girl

1987
Slam Dance poster

Slam Dance

Movie · as Librarian

1987
The Running Man poster

The Running Man

Movie · as Propaganda Officer

1987
Extreme Prejudice poster

Extreme Prejudice

Movie · as Employment Office Clerk

1987
Mistress poster

Mistress

Movie · as Woman Customer

1986
Critters poster

Critters

Movie · as Sally

1985
Brewster's Millions poster

Brewster's Millions

Movie · as Journalist at Rally

1985
The Twilight Zone poster

The Twilight Zone

TV · as Kate Simmons (segment "Chameleon") · 1 ep

1984
A Nightmare on Elm Street poster

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Movie · as Teacher

1984
Summer Fantasy poster

Summer Fantasy

Movie · as Woman on Beach

1984
Why Me? poster

Why Me?

Movie

1984
Who's the Boss? poster

Who's the Boss?

TV · as Mrs. Padnick · 1 ep

1984
Highway to Heaven poster

Highway to Heaven

TV · as Lila Barnes · 1 ep

1982
Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again poster

Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again

Movie · as Nurse with Telegram

1982
Alone in the Dark poster

Alone in the Dark

Movie · as Receptionist at Haven

1982
Cagney & Lacey poster

Cagney & Lacey

TV · as Secretary · 1 ep

1981
Falcon Crest poster

Falcon Crest

TV · as Smoking Female Prisoner · 1 ep

1980
A Cry for Love

A Cry for Love

Movie

1980
The Long Riders poster

The Long Riders

Movie · as Kate

1979
The Seeding of Sarah Burns poster

The Seeding of Sarah Burns

Movie · as 2nd Nurse

1979
The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal poster

The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal

Movie · as Freida

1978
Goin' South poster

Goin' South

Movie · as Parasol Lady

1977
Sex and the Married Woman poster

Sex and the Married Woman

Movie · as Sandra

1977
A Secret Space poster

A Secret Space

Movie · as Amy

1977
Eight Is Enough poster

Eight Is Enough

TV · as Band Member · 1 ep

1975
Hester Street poster

Hester Street

Movie · as Whore