Lin Shaye is thrilled to visit Philadelphia

On the heels of being "discovered" and being an "overnight success" after 44 years as an actress, thanks to the "Insidious" films - the third of which comes out June 5 - Lin Shaye is in the spotlight and doing the pop-culture convention circuit for the last time.

Last month, she was part of a panel at WonderCon, in Anaheim, Calif., which she says was "wild."

"There was a kid standing there with a lobster on his head asking a serious question," Shaye said, laughing. "It was a little hard to keep from cracking up."

Whether such a memorable experience is in store for the venerable actress at this year's Wizard World Philly Con this weekend is unknown.

But she makes it clear that she is happy to be coming to the City of Brotherly Love.

"I've never really been a tourist of the city," says Shaye. "But . . . it's really lovely to meet people from all over who you have no idea are interested in your work and also the enjoyment they're getting from [the "Insidious" films] . . . so I'm looking forward to all of it. . . . I'm also looking forward to . . . seeing what you all love [about the city]."

Shaye joked that she's been acting "longer than quite a few people [have been] alive," but she has quite an impressive resume for a longtime character actor. If you go to the movies at all, you've probably seen her.

Shaye has been in material as diverse as the Jack Nicholson-directed Western, "Goin' South," 1984's "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Boat Trip," with Cuba Gooding, Jr.

Shaye also has shown the ability to play comedic roles, which landed her spots in two Farrelly Brothers classics, "Dumb and Dumber" and "Kingpin," as well as what was her most famous role before "Insidious," as Cameron Diaz's famously overtanned neighbor in "There's Something About Mary."

Shaye is aware that the "Insidious" films and her portrayal of Elise Rainier have brought her a new generation of fans - and she's pleasantly surprised by it.

"I don't think we thought about anything other than [the original "Insidious"] just being a wonderful film and hopefully people liking it," Shaye said. "What's crazy for me is this character, Elise, which somehow caught on. . . . James [Wan, director of the first film] said, 'Everybody loves your character! Everybody loves your character!' and I thought, 'That's so great!'

"I'm kind of an unlikely suspect to have this kind of recognition from a youthful audience," Shaye continued. "Because usually it's the hot guy or the hot girl, and here I am, acting since 1971, and I don't make any secret about myself or my history or how old I am."

Shaye is 71.

"It's all out there," she said. "I will keep on doing these films as long as they want me. It's fun!"