Lin Shaye
Known for
An American actress from Detroit, Lin Shaye is a beloved queen of modern horror. After decades of scene-stealing supporting turns, including the leathery sunbather in 'There's Something About Mary' (1998) and a role in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984), she found signature stardom late as the paranormal investigator Elise Rainier in 'Insidious' (2011) and its franchise. Warm off screen and fearless on it, she is a genre icon who proved a character actress could carry a horror saga into her seventies.
Lin Shaye
141 Movies
19 Series
An American actress from Detroit, Lin Shaye is a beloved queen of modern horror. After decades of scene-stealing supporting turns, including the leathery sunbather in 'There's Something About Mary' (1998) and a role in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984), she found signature stardom late as the paranormal investigator Elise Rainier in 'Insidious' (2011) and its franchise. Warm off screen and fearless on it, she is a genre icon who proved a character actress could carry a horror saga into her seventies.
Movies
Plays Teacher
A Nightmare on Elm Street
1984
Plays Mrs. Neugeboren
Dumb and Dumber
1994
Plays Elise Rainier
Insidious
2011
Plays Elise Rainier
Insidious: The Red Door
2023
Plays Elise Rainier
Insidious: Chapter 3
2015
Plays Elise Rainier
Insidious: Out of the Further
2026
Plays Mrs. Wells
A Cinderella Story
2004
Plays Propaganda Officer
The Running Man
1987
Plays Ophelia
Frank and Penelope
2022
Plays Magda
There's Something About Mary
1998
Plays Elise Rainier
Insidious: Chapter 2
2013
Plays Mrs. Caleron
Me, Myself & Irene
2000
Plays Elise Rainier
Insidious: The Last Key
2018
Plays Grace
Snakes on a Plane
2006
Plays Faith Matheson
The Grudge
2019
Plays Nurse with Pills
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
1994
Plays Paulina Zander
Ouija
2014
Plays Nurse Adele
My Sister's Keeper
2009
Plays Nurse Crotchet
The Three Stooges
2012
Plays Old Paulina Zander
Ouija: Origin of Evil
2016
Plays Carol Miller
The Hidden
1987
Plays Margie
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd
2003
Plays Sally
Critters
1986
Plays Mirabelle
The Signal
2014
Plays Sonya the Coach
Boat Trip
2002
Plays Exotic Car Driver
Cellular
2004
Plays Tequlia
Barely Legal
2003
Plays The Madame
Last Man Standing
1996
Plays Witness
National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1
1993
Plays Landlady
Kingpin
1996
Plays Laura Harrington
Dead End
2003
Plays Sal
Critters 2
1988
Plays Makeup Babe
Stuck on You
2003
Plays Journalist at Rally
Brewster's Millions
1985
Plays Captain Wheeler
Director's Cut
2016
Plays Granny Boone
2001 Maniacs
2005
Plays Kate
The Long Riders
1980
Plays Baglady / Nurse Maleva
Chillerama
2011
Plays Miss Black
The Black Room
2017
Plays PTA Parent #3
Pump Up the Volume
1990
Plays Mrs. Bruce
Detroit Rock City
1999
Plays Rubber Rose Maid
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
1994
Plays Edith Cranston
The Call
2020
Plays Parasol Lady
Goin' South
1978
Plays Dody
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy
2011
Plays Employment Office Clerk
Extreme Prejudice
1987
Plays Jill
Take Me Home
2011
Plays Mrs. Bundy
Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman
2021
Plays Muriel Miller
Mountain Top
2017
Plays Repeat Nanny
Corrina, Corrina
1994
TV Shows
Plays Dottie Minter
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels
2020
Plays Sonia (voice)
Common Side Effects
2025
Plays Elise
Insidious: Spectral Sightings
2013
Plays Nurse
Perversions of Science
1997
Plays Mrs. Padnick
Who's the Boss?
1984
Plays Paul's Mom
My Name Is Earl
2005
Plays Lila Barnes
Highway to Heaven
1984
Plays Anne
Frasier
1993
Plays Mrs. Cooper
Becker
1998
Plays Margaret
ER
1994
Plays Diane
EastSiders
2012
Plays Parent #2
My So-Called Life
1994
Plays Kate Simmons (segment "Chameleon")
The Twilight Zone
1985
Plays Secretary
Cagney & Lacey
1982
Plays Leather Lauren
Crossing Jordan
2001
Plays Band Member
Eight Is Enough
1977
Plays Parent #2
Life Goes On
1989
Plays Mrs. Taylor
Private Practice
2007
Plays Shurja
Arli$$
1996
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Insidious: Out of the Further
Full Filmography
Insidious: Out of the Further
Elise Rainier
2026
Film
Scared to Death
Max
2026
Film
Common Side Effects
Sonia (voice) · 3 episodes
2025–
TV
Insidious: The Red Door
Elise Rainier
2023
Film
Remote
Kane
2022
Film
We Are Gathered Here Today
Jean Cole
2022
Film
The Quarry: Movie Mode
Constance Hackett
2022
Film
Frank and Penelope
Ophelia
2022
Film
Pines
Julie (voice)
2022
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Lin Shaye and where are they from?
Lin Shaye is 82 years old, born on October 12, 1943 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Lin Shaye?
Lin Shaye is best known for roles in Insidious, Dumb and Dumber, A Nightmare on Elm Street.
How many movies has Lin Shaye been in?
Over a 51-year career (since 1975), Lin Shaye has appeared in 141 movies and 19 TV shows.
What was Lin Shaye's first movie?
The career of Lin Shaye began with Hester Street (1975).
What is Lin Shaye's most recent movie or series?
Lin Shaye's most recent release is Scared to Death, which premiered on March 13, 2026.
What TV shows has Lin Shaye appeared in?
On television, Lin Shaye has appeared in My Name Is Earl, ER, Frasier, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.
Does Lin Shaye have any upcoming projects?
Yes, Lin Shaye's upcoming work includes: Insidious: Out of the Further (2026).
Lin Shaye
1943-10-12 · Detroit, Michigan, USA
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).Lin Shaye, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.