Lin Shaye

The Scream Queen of America, Linda Shaye, also called Lin Shaye is a theater, film and television actress. She earned her nickname owing to her roles in several horror films such as Insidious, Critters, Dead End, Ouija, 2001 Maniacs and its sequel, Amityville, etc. Born in Detroit, Michigan to a Jewish family, Lin's parents were simple people - her mother was a homemaker and her father was a painter and also owned a supermarket. She has a brother called Robert. Lin studied acting at the University of Michigan and later went to New York to work in Off-Broadway Productions. She went to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career in 1977. She started acting with her debut in Hester Street I 1975. It was a small role, followed by other small roles in films and television.

She appeared in Going South in 1978 and had appeared in several character roles since then. During 1980 to 1996, she was cast in four of Walter Hill's films. One of her most popular films was A Night On Elm Street, 1984, where she played a teacher. Her brother's company distributed the film, and her brother helped her get the role. Her role in Dumb and Dumber in 1994 received mixed reviews, but the film was a commercial success. She then appeared in Kingpin followed by There's Something about Mary in 1998, which was another success. She next appeared in Detroit Rock City in 1999. In 2003, she starred in Boat Trip as well as Dead End, which got her immense popularity.

She also acted in The Hillside Strangler. She starred in 2001 Maniacs and its sequel - 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams, in 2005. 2006 saw her in Snakes on a Plan, which gained popularity even before its release. Insidious was released in 2011, and it happened to gross $97,009, 150 across the world. She also acted in Insidious 2 and 3. Lin's first husband died in 1968. She got married to Clayton Landey in 1988. They had a child together before they divorced in 2003. Lin has been nominated for several awards and has won on various occasions. She won the Peniscola Comedy Film Festival award for Best Actress for Dead End in 2004, BreckenBridge Festival of Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for Hate Crime in 2005 and Fangoria Chainsaw Awards and Fright Meter Awards for Best Supporting Actress for Insidious in 2012.