Lin Shaye quotes:

I've never seen 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre', I've never seen 'Halloween', I've never seen any of the 'Friday the 13ths.'

As an actor, whatever I get the opportunity to do, if it has a good story then I'm in. I thought 'Dead End' had a great story; 'Nightmare on Elm Street,' of course, was probably the first real horror film I was in.

I just kind of do my thing with sort of tunnel vision for the story and my role and how it fits together.

I think the best advice I ever got about acting was from my dad, which was, 'If they don't buy the fish on the first toss, throw it back in the wagon and go to the second house.' Which is like an old Jewish fishmongers' story about how you become a successful fish monger.

I think the first thing is don't give up. If you love the craft. If you love being a detective and discovering who a character is and the detail of how they walk and what kind of shoes they wear and what did they do yesterday and what's important to them. I definitely advise actors to learn about the craft.

I'm not a blood and guts person. I remember seeing 'House of Wax' as a teenager in 3D. This was years ago, the original 'House of Wax', and that was scary enough for me that I thought I'd never see another one.

I've gotten jobs that I think I've done the worst audition I ever did, and I got the job. I've done the best audition I've ever done in my entire life, and I haven't gotten the job.

I've had a couple of odd experiences - unexplainable anxiety that came my way through a belief in something... I mean, it sounds cryptic, but... anything for me that turns myself against myself, I stay away from.

I may be the only actress in Hollywood who won't need a face lift, because when I take off my makeup, I look so great compared to my characters!