Lin Shaye
2.2Acting

Lin Shaye

Oct 12, 1943 - Detroit, Michigan, USA

Lin Shaye (born October 12, 1943) is an American actress. She is best known for her work in horror franchises, including Nightmare on Elm Street, Ouija, and Insidious.

Shaye attended the University of Michigan, where she was an Art History major, although acting in as many University productions as possible, including "Bye Bye Birdie" and "On The Town". After U of M, she attended Columbia University School of the Arts, and acquired a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting. She stayed in New York upon graduation and worked in numerous off- and off-off- Broadway productions, as well as Lincoln Center and Broadway.

Credits

Cast

Media
Movie2006Snakes on a PlaneGrace
Movie1984A Nightmare on Elm StreetTeacher
Movie1998There's Something About MaryMagda
Movie1988Critters 2Sal
Movie2006Surf SchoolLarry's Mom
Movie1986CrittersSally
Movie20052001 ManiacsGranny Boone
Movie2001Say It Isn't SoNurse Bautista
Movie1996KingpinLandlady
Movie2003Dead EndLaura Harrington
Movie1994New NightmareNurse with Pills
Movie1993Amityville: A New GenerationNurse Turner
Movie2005Hate CrimeKathleen Slansky
Movie2006Surf SchoolLarry's mom
Movie1987The HiddenCarol Miller
Movie1999Detroit Rock CityMrs. Bruce
Movie1994Even Cowgirls Get the BluesRubber Rose Maid
Movie1996Last Man StandingThe Madame
Movie2004Who's Your Daddy?Ms. Harding
Movie20102001 Maniacs: Field of ScreamsGranny Boone
Movie2022Frank and PenelopeOphelia
Movie1997Trading FavorsDarla
Movie2010Killer by NatureLeona
Movie2006Snoop Dogg's Hood of HorrorClara
Movie2006Hoboken HollowMrs. Brodrick
Movie1993The TempRosemary
Movie2011InsidiousElise Rainier
MovieN/AThe Old WorldThe Aunt (voice)
Movie2022PinesJulie (voice)
Movie2010Next Stop MurderDetective Reeson
Movie2002ContagionLaura Crowley
Movie2013Insidious: Chapter 2Elise Rainier
Movie2011Take Me HomeJill
MovieN/ACarrierJoan Pierson
Movie2012FDR: American Badass!Eleanor Roosevelt
Movie2007The ElectionThe Wife
Movie1993Three of HeartsOperator
Movie2010Farewell Mr. KringleZelda
Movie2007Chasing RobertMartha the Bookie
Movie2011SedonaClaire
Movie2013Crazy Kind of LoveDenise Mack
Movie2013Big Ass Spider!Mrs. Jefferson
Movie2008Doggie HeavenWoman
Movie20123 Days of NormalMay
Movie2013All American Christmas CarolBarbara Belnap
Movie2023Insidious: The Red DoorElise Rainier
Movie2001A Letter from My FatherElise
Movie1979The Seeding of Sarah Burns2nd Nurse
Movie2006Down the P.C.H.Wendy O'Hara
Movie2014The SignalMirabelle
Movie2022We Are Gathered Here TodayJean Cole
Movie2022Living with ChuckySelf
Movie2001Without Charlie
Movie2011ChilleramaBaglady / Nurse Maleva
Movie2005Drop Dead SexyMa Muzzy
Movie1984Summer FantasyWoman on Beach
Movie2011I Was a Teenage Werebear
Movie2012Life's an ItchGloria
Movie2011Rosewood LaneMrs. Hawthorne
Movie2004The Almost GuysRepo Boss
Movie1978Goin' SouthParasol Lady
Movie2006Bachelor Party VegasCassandra
Movie2018The Main Course: The Making of Critters 2Self
Movie2014Lost TimeMysterious Woman
Movie2014GraceHelen
Movie2013NoobzMrs. Theodore
Movie2017Grow HouseMrs. Gilliam
Movie1979The Triangle Factory Fire ScandalFreida
Movie2007Homo ErectusMuseum Guide
Movie1985Brewster's MillionsJournalist at Rally
Movie2015Insidious: Chapter 3Elise Rainier
Movie2022RemoteKane
Movie2010Pickin' and Grinnin'Bonnie Johnson
Movie2014OuijaPaulina Zander
Movie2015Helen Keller vs. NightwolvesHelen Keller
Movie2015Tales of HalloweenLynn's Mother
Movie1980A Cry for Love
Movie1994Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last ChapterInmate
Movie2016Director's CutCaptain Wheeler
Movie1992Roadside ProphetsCeleste
Movie2011A Good Old Fashioned OrgyDody
Movie2010The PenthouseFrances
Movie2006Unbeatable HaroldJeannie
Movie2002Boat TripSonya the Coach
Movie2016Jack Goes HomeTeresa
MovieN/AThe Possession at Gladstone ManorNurse
Movie1975Hester StreetWhore
Movie2017Buster's Mal HeartPauline
Movie2024Scared to DeathMax
Movie2016AbattoirAllie
Movie1998Breakfast with EinsteinMiss Desmond
Movie2016Texas HeartMrs. Smith
Movie2018Insidious: The Last KeyElise Rainier
Movie2003Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met LloydMargie
Movie2000Attention ShoppersLibby
Movie2009StuntmenBumble Jackson
Movie1987Stillwatch
Movie2016Ouija: Origin of EvilOld Paulina Zander
Movie1982Jekyll and Hyde... Together AgainNurse with Telegram
Movie1995Nature of the BeastCarol Powell
Movie1988Lucky StiffBratty Kid's Mom
Movie1987My Demon LoverAnemic Counter Girl
Movie2007Pledge This!Miss Prin
Movie2008Killer PadMarge
Movie2009Dark Moon RisingSunny
Movie2004The Hillside StranglerJenny Buono
Movie2017The Black RoomMiss Black
Movie2006DriftwoodNancy Forrester
Movie2008AsylumString's Mother
Movie2004A Cinderella StoryMrs. Wells
Movie2010Small Town Saturday NightPhyllis Ryan
Movie1987Slam DanceLibrarian
Movie2015Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La ManchaThe Grand Lady
Movie1995Sketch Artist II: Hands That SeeBonnie
Movie2017All About the MoneyMrs. Womack
Movie1993National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1Witness
Movie1994Dumb and DumberMrs. Neugeboren
Movie2002Wish You Were DeadJinny Macintosh
Movie2016The Midnight ManAnna
Movie2008Chronic TownNurse
Movie2012The Three StoogesNurse Crotchet
Movie2019The GrudgeFaith Matheson
Movie1996Project: ALFWaitress
Movie2018Herbert West: ReanimatorMeredith
Movie2017Mountain TopMuriel Miller
Movie2020Darkness FallsAngela Anderson
Movie2019The Final WishKate Hammond
Movie1994In the Line of Duty: The Price of VengeanceForeman #2
Movie1994Corrina, CorrinaRepeat Nanny
Movie2003Stuck on YouMakeup Babe
Movie2009My Sister's KeeperNurse Adele
Movie1980The Long RidersKate
Movie2004CellularExotic Car Driver
Movie2012JewtopiaDr. Sutton
Movie2011Goldberg - P.I.Violet
Movie2019Room for RentJoyce
Movie2018They Bite!: The Making of CrittersSelf
Movie2008Starz Inside: In the GutterSelf
Movie2019Gothic HarvestGriselda
Movie2012Waffle HutJerrie Wolf
Movie2018Los Angeles OvernightCousins
Movie2019Get GoneMama
Movie2020DreamkatcherRuth
Movie2020The VoicesThe Vagabond
Movie2005Confessions of an Action StarSamantha Jones
Movie2000Me, Myself & IreneMrs. Caleron
Movie2009American CowslipLou Anne
Movie1995Trial by FirePhyliis Cardell
Movie2012Matchmaker SantaDebbie
Movie1987The Running ManPropaganda Officer
Movie2020Max Reload and the Nether BlastersMrs. Wylder
Movie1982Alone in the DarkReceptionist at Haven
Movie2010Black Limousine
MovieN/ADead of Nowhere 3DMeemaw
Movie2020The Horror CrowdHerself
MovieN/ABefore Memory
Movie2020The CallEdith Cranston
Movie1998Living Out LoudLisa's Nurse
Movie2019AmbitionLady Bum
Movie2005Born KillersWillow
Movie2022Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund StorySelf
Movie1987Extreme PrejudiceEmployment Office Clerk
Movie1990Pump Up the VolumePTA Parent #3
Movie2010VideoDome Rent-O-RamaThe Lush
Movie1993Brain Smasher... A Love StoryMake up Artist
Movie2021Ted Bundy: American BoogeymanMrs. Bundy
Movie2010Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street LegacySelf
Movie1977Sex and the Married WomanSandra
Movie1977A Secret SpaceAmy
Movie1984Why Me?
Movie1987MistressWoman Customer
Movie1990Book of LoveMrs. Flynn
Movie2003Barely LegalTequlia
Movie1991Critters 3Sal (archive footage)
Movie2024The Last Stand of Ellen ColeEllen
Movie2003ManFastMarge
MovieN/ADevotedAunt Dottie
Movie2025House of Abraham
Movie20251000 Women in HorrorSelf
MovieN/AThe Bench
TV Show1997Perversions of ScienceNurse1
TV Show1984Who's the Boss?Mrs. Padnick1
TV Show2005My Name Is EarlPaul's Mom1
TV Show1984Highway to HeavenLila Barnes1
TV Show1993FrasierAnne1
TV Show1998BeckerMrs. Cooper1
TV Show1994ERMargaret1
TV Show2021Behind the MonstersSelf6
TV Show2012EastSidersDiane1
TV Show1994My So-Called LifeParent #21
TV Show2018Eli Roth's History of HorrorSelf1
TV Show2020Dead Talk LiveSelf - Guest1
TV Show1985The Twilight ZoneKate Simmons (segment "Chameleon")1
TV Show1982Cagney & LaceySecretary1
TV Show1981Falcon CrestSmoking Female Prisoner1
TV Show2020Penny Dreadful: City of AngelsDottie Minter6
TV Show2001Crossing JordanLeather Lauren1
TV Show1977Eight Is EnoughBand Member1
TV Show1989Life Goes OnParent #21
TV Show2007Private PracticeMrs. Taylor1
TV Show2005Made in HollywoodSelf1
TV Show2025Common Side EffectsSonia (voice)3

Crew

Media
Movie2019Room for RentCo-ProducerProduction
Movie2020DreamkatcherExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2024Scared to DeathExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2024The Last Stand of Ellen ColeExecutive ProducerProduction