Lin Shaye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lin Shaye
Shaye in 2017
Born	(1943-10-12) October 12, 1943 (age 81) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Michigan
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1975–present
Spouse(s)	Marshall Rubinoff (m. 19??; died 1968) Clayton Landey ​ ​ (m. 1988; div. 2003)​
Children	1
Relatives	Robert Shaye (brother)

Lin Shaye (born October 12, 1943) is an American actress. She has been acting for over fifty years and has appeared in more than a hundred movies. Many people know her for her roles in scary movies, earning her the nickname "scream queen." She is also famous for her funny roles in comedies.

Some of her well-known horror films include the Insidious series (where she plays Elise Rainier), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Critters (1986), Ouija (2014), and The Grudge (2020).

For comedies, she has worked with the Farrelly brothers on movies like Dumb and Dumber (1994), Kingpin (1996), and There's Something About Mary (1998).

Early Life and Education

Lin Shaye was born in Detroit, Michigan. Her brother, Robert Shaye, is also involved in the film industry. Her family is Jewish, and her mother was from Russia. Her grandparents came from Romania and settled in Michigan.

Before becoming an actress, Lin Shaye studied art history at the University of Michigan. After college, she moved to New York City to perform in plays that were not on Broadway. In 1977, she moved to Los Angeles to start her career in movies and TV.

Acting Career Highlights

Lin Shaye began her film career in 1975 with a small part in the movie Hester Street. She then had many small roles in movies and television shows. In 1978, she appeared in the Western film Goin' South, directed by Jack Nicholson. She enjoyed this early experience a lot.

She worked with director Walter Hill on four films between 1980 and 1996. In 1984, she played a teacher in A Nightmare on Elm Street. This movie was distributed by New Line Cinema, a company started by her older brother, Robert Shaye. She has mentioned that having a family connection helped her get some roles.

Breakthrough in Comedy

In 1994, Lin Shaye got a big comedy role as Mrs. Neugeboren in the Farrelly Brothers' movie Dumb and Dumber. This film became very popular and is still loved by many people today. The Farrelly brothers liked her work and cast her again in Kingpin as a landlady.

Her role as Magda in the 1998 hit movie There's Something About Mary was also very memorable. For this role, she had to wear special makeup for hours to look like an "old leather bag." The movie was a huge success and one of the highest-grossing comedies of that year. Lin Shaye was even nominated for an award for her performance. She continued her comedic roles in films like Detroit Rock City (1999).

Success in Horror Films

Lin Shaye is widely recognized for her roles in horror movies. In 2011, she played Elise Rainier, a medium (someone who can communicate with spirits), in the horror film Insidious. She found the script very scary herself! The movie was a big success and earned a lot of money worldwide. It was one of the most profitable films of 2011. Lin Shaye received positive reviews for her performance and was nominated for several awards.

She returned as Elise Rainier in the sequels, Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013), Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015), Insidious: The Last Key (2018), and Insidious: The Red Door (2023). In the later Insidious films, her character Elise became a more central and heroic figure, which Lin Shaye enjoyed playing. Critics and audiences praised her performances in these movies, noting that she brought a lot of heart and strength to the character.

In 2020, Lin Shaye won a Daytime Emmy Award for her guest role in the web series EastSiders.

Personal Life

Lin Shaye has been married two times. Her first husband, Marshall Rubinoff, passed away in 1968. In 1988, she married actor Clayton Landey. They had one child together before they divorced in 2003.

Awards and Recognition

Lin Shaye has received several awards and nominations throughout her career, especially for her work in horror films.

See also

In Spanish: Lin Shaye para niños