Lin Shaye
Known for Acting · 213 credits
- Born
- 1943-10-12 (age 82)
- Place of birth
- Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Also known as
- Linda Shaye
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
TV Shows (24)
Frasier
1993
as Anne
ER
1994
as Margaret
Crossing Jordan
2001
as Leather Lauren
Falcon Crest
1981
as Smoking Female Prisoner
My Name Is Earl
2005
as Paul's Mom
Private Practice
2007
as Mrs. Taylor
Who's the Boss?
1984
as Mrs. Padnick
Highway to Heaven
1984
as Lila Barnes
Arli$$
1996
as Shurja
Cagney & Lacey
1982
as Secretary
The Twilight Zone
1985
as Kate Simmons (segment "Chameleon")
Becker
1998
as Mrs. Cooper
Life Goes On
1989
as Parent #2
Eight Is Enough
1977
as Band Member
Made in Hollywood
2005
as Self
Common Side Effects
2025
as Sonia (voice)
My So-Called Life
1994
as Parent #2
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels
2020
as Dottie Minter
Eli Roth's History of Horror
2018
as Self
EastSiders
2012
as Diane
Perversions of Science
1997
as Nurse
Dead Talk Live
2020
as Self - Guest
Behind the Monsters
2021
as Self
Insidious: Spectral Sightings
2013
as Elise
Movies (189)
The Last Stand of Ellen Cole
2024
as Ellen
A Nightmare on Elm Street
1984
as Teacher
Dumb and Dumber
1994
as Mrs. Neugeboren
Insidious
2011
as Elise Rainier
Insidious: The Red Door
2023
as Elise Rainier
Snakes on a Plane
2006
as Grace
Insidious: Chapter 2
2013
as Elise Rainier
Insidious: The Last Key
2018
as Elise Rainier
A Cinderella Story
2004
as Mrs. Wells
Frank and Penelope
2022
as Ophelia
Insidious: Chapter 3
2015
as Elise Rainier
My Sister's Keeper
2009
as Nurse Adele
Insidious: Out of the Further
2026
as Elise Rainier
The Running Man
1987
as Propaganda Officer
There's Something About Mary
1998
as Magda
Me, Myself & Irene
2000
as Mrs. Caleron
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
1994
as Nurse with Pills
The Three Stooges
2012
as Nurse Crotchet
Ouija
2014
as Paulina Zander
Ouija: Origin of Evil
2016
as Old Paulina Zander
The Signal
2014
as Mirabelle
Cellular
2004
as Exotic Car Driver
The Grudge
2019
as Faith Matheson
Last Man Standing
1996
as The Madame
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd
2003
as Margie
Critters
1986
as Sally
Director's Cut
2016
as Captain Wheeler
Kingpin
1996
as Landlady
Boat Trip
2002
as Sonya the Coach
Critters 2
1988
as Sal
2001 Maniacs
2005
as Granny Boone
Chillerama
2011
as Baglady / Nurse Maleva
Brewster's Millions
1985
as Journalist at Rally
Barely Legal
2003
as Tequlia
Pump Up the Volume
1990
as PTA Parent #3
Take Me Home
2011
as Jill
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy
2011
as Dody
Detroit Rock City
1999
as Mrs. Bruce
Stuck on You
2003
as Makeup Babe
The Hidden
1987
as Carol Miller
Dead End
2003
as Laura Harrington
The Long Riders
1980
as Kate
Corrina, Corrina
1994
as Repeat Nanny
Say It Isn't So
2001
as Nurse Bautista
The Midnight Man
2016
as Anna
Dreamkatcher
2020
as Ruth
Extreme Prejudice
1987
as Employment Office Clerk
Critters 3
1991
as Sal (archive footage)
The Black Room
2017
as Miss Black
Abattoir
2016
as Allie
Who's Your Daddy?
2004
as Ms. Harding
Big Ass Spider!
2013
as Mrs. Jefferson
Crazy Kind of Love
2013
as Denise Mack
Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman
2021
as Mrs. Bundy
Tales of Halloween
2015
as Lynn's Mother
Sedona
2011
as Claire
Waffle Hut
2012
as Jerrie Wolf
Homo Erectus
2007
as Museum Guide
Pines
2022
as Julie (voice)
Texas Heart
2016
as Mrs. Smith
Slam Dance
1987
as Librarian
Grace
2014
as Helen
National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1
1993
as Witness
All About the Money
2017
as Mrs. Womack
The Call
2020
as Edith Cranston
Stillwatch
1987
Breakfast with Einstein
1998
as Miss Desmond
Killer by Nature
2010
as Leona
House of Abraham
2025
Drop Dead Sexy
2005
as Ma Muzzy
Book of Love
1990
as Mrs. Flynn
Confessions of an Action Star
2005
as Samantha Jones
The Final Wish
2019
as Kate Hammond
Asylum
2008
as String's Mother
Rosewood Lane
2011
as Mrs. Hawthorne
Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror
2006
as Clara
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy
2010
as Self
Mascotland
Project: ALF
1996
as Waitress
Bachelor Party Vegas
2006
as Cassandra
Goin' South
1978
as Parasol Lady
Room for Rent
2019
as Joyce
Living Out Loud
1998
as Lisa's Nurse
Pledge This!
2007
as Miss Prin
Living with Chucky
2022
as Self
The Temp
1993
as Rosemary
The Hillside Strangler
2004
as Jenny Buono
Trading Favors
1997
as Darla
Jewtopia
2012
as Dr. Sutton
Nature of the Beast
1995
as Carol Powell
2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams
2010
as Granny Boone
My Demon Lover
1987
as Anemic Counter Girl
1000 Women in Horror
2025
as Self
Wish You Were Dead
2002
as Jinny Macintosh
Buster's Mal Heart
2017
as Pauline
I Was a Teenage Werebear
2011
3 Days of Normal
2012
as May
Thread: An Insidious Tale
as Elise Rainier
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
1994
as Rubber Rose Maid
Alone in the Dark
1982
as Receptionist at Haven
Mountain Top
2017
as Muriel Miller
Los Angeles Overnight
2018
as Cousins
Scared to Death
2026
as Max
Small Town Saturday Night
2010
as Phyllis Ryan
Grow House
2017
as Mrs. Gilliam
The Quarry: Movie Mode
2022
as Constance Hackett
FDR: American Badass!
2012
as Eleanor Roosevelt
Unbeatable Harold
2006
as Jeannie
Life's an Itch
2012
as Gloria
Trial by Fire
1995
as Phyliis Cardell
Sketch Artist II: Hands That See
1995
as Bonnie
Noobz
2013
as Mrs. Theodore
The Snake Pit: On the Set of 'Snakes on a Plane'
2007
as Self
Ambition
2019
as Lady Bum
Pickin' and Grinnin'
2010
as Bonnie Johnson
Three of Hearts
1993
as Operator
Mistress
1987
as Woman Customer
Sex and the Married Woman
1977
as Sandra
Farewell Mr. Kringle
2010
as Zelda
Darkness Falls
2020
as Angela Anderson
About Lin Shaye
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),… With 213 credits spanning from 1975 to 2026, Lin Shaye has appeared in 189 films and 24 TV shows.
Fans searching for Lin Shaye movies, Lin Shaye filmography, or the latest projects starring Lin Shaye can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Lin Shaye Movies
- The Last Stand of Ellen Cole (2024) — as Ellen
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) — as Teacher
- Dumb and Dumber (1994) — as Mrs. Neugeboren
- Insidious (2011) — as Elise Rainier
- Insidious: The Red Door (2023) — as Elise Rainier
Where to Watch Lin Shaye Films
Most Lin Shaye movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Lin Shaye, check our movies catalogue and browse page.