Michigan born and raised actress, Lin Shaye, speaks about growing up in Michigan, her deep passion for acting and why she believes “Insidious: Chapter 3” is the scariest “Insidious” yet.

Shaye grew up on Fairfield between Pickford and Curtis in the heart of Detroit. The 71 year-old actress would call the Motor City her home for over 18 years, where she went to Mumford High School and eventually attended the University of Michigan.

“Detroit is really my cradle. It’s where I was born and all of my early experiences were there,” said Shaye. “The city itself has a very interesting energy and that there a lot of people who come out of here, whether it be singers, filmmakers, actors, and so on, that there is some ‘down and dirty’ here that is good for you.”

Shaye was very involved in her high school plays and productions, but while at the University of Michigan she decided to pursue an Art History degree. She recognized that the university had a tremendous theater program, but she was always on the fringe of whether she actually wanted to act or not.

It was not until after moving to New York and becoming a part of the numerous off-broadway productions, she realized that acting is what she was born to do.

“In high school, I always liked being somebody else. Which sounds weird, but it was like being somebody else but still being myself in a way,” said Shaye. “It is a fascinating experience trying to find yourself in the character and in the story.”

Shaye would eventually go to Columbia where she earned a Master of Fine Arts in acting in just three years. She started out in small productions and plays, but she believes that part of her success is that she never had any wild ambitions of being famous or a celebrity, she just loved to act.

After over 40 years in the acting industry, Shaye’s career is actually on an upswing. She has appeared in numerous films over the decades, including some Farrelly Brothers’ classics such as “Dumb and Dumber,” “Kingpin,” and “There’s Something About Mary.” She also has some horror roots as she has appeared in “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Snakes on a Plane,” and even last year’s “Ouija.”

Even with all of those memorable roles, it was her turn as the medium Elise in the film “Insidious” that gave Shaye her most recognized performance. The micro-budgeted first film went on to become a worldwide horror hit, with Shaye’s character being right in the center of a lot of the buzz.

“Elise became such a fan favorite character which was kind of surprising because I am not a young, hot model,” said Shaye. “Leigh [Whannell] said that the next one is going to be an origin story and it is going to tell your story. And he came up with some really brilliant bottom to my character.”

“Insidious: Chapter 3,” directed by series co-creator and actor Leigh Whannell, takes place before the events of the first two films. Audiences will learn about Elise’s first encounter with The Further, a realm inhabited by tortured souls of dead. After mostly positive reviews from the horror community on the first two outings, the expectations are reasonably high, but Shaye says that “Chapter 3” is by far the scariest entry yet.  

“This isn’t a haunting, it’s a possession. This demon is seriously, physically dangerous and could really harm you,” said Shaye. “It sets up fear in a different way than the other two because you have an emotional and intellectual fear but there is also a physical fear as well.”

“Insidious: Chapter 3” opens this Friday and is rated PG-13 for violence, frightening images, some language and thematic elements.