Last Updated on July 14, 2024 by FANGORIA Staff
The number of actors who have graced the silver screen over the years is too many to count. The number of those actors who will live on eternally thanks to the impact they made with their time on screen? That distinction belongs to a select few. Robert Englund is undoubtedly one of them. As the man behind Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street films, Englund made himself known to the world as one of cinema’s most terrifying horror icons. His legacy, however, extends well beyond a single role.
As such, Englund is being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame alongside the Horror Master himself, John Carpenter, as part of the class of 2025. It’s a sorely deserved honor for a man who has had such an impact over such a long span of time. From his time as Freddy to his time in Hawkins on Netflix’s Stranger Things, we’re taking this opportunity to look back on Englund’s long career.
The actor’s first role came in 1974’s Buster and Billie, a full decade before he would make himself known to the horror lovers of the world. From there, Englund took the journeyman actor’s route, taking bit parts in many other movies and TV shows such as Stay Hungry and Mind Over Murder, among many others. But his role as Willie on the seminal sci-fi miniseries V in 1983 truly changed things for the actor, as he was given ample screen time on a popular, acclaimed event series.
Things truly changed the following year when Englund collaborated with the late great Wes Craven on A Nightmare on Elm Street. Coming at the height of the ’80s slasher craze, Freddy Krueger distinguished himself by killing people in their dreams, adding flare and creativity to the bloody proceedings. More than that, without being hidden under a mask like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, Englund was able to provide a real personality to the character, which made him irreplaceable as Freddy.
The film was a smash success, so much so that New Line Cinema became known as “the house that Freddy built.” This also led to a long tradition of Englund appearing on the cover of FANGORIA (Our EIC Phil Nobile Jr. recently referred to the magazine as “The magazine that Freddy built”). The actor holds the distinction of being featured on the magazine cover more than anyone else, dating back to the earliest days of this franchise’s run. He even helped the mag celebrate a major milestone, gracing the cover of FANGORIA #50 to promote A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge.
Englund returned to star in a series of Elm Street films throughout the ’80s and ’90s, including 1987’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, 1988’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, 1989’s A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, 1991’s Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare and 1994’s Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. Amid all of the films, Englund also helped bring the franchise to the small screen with the Freddy’s Nightmares TV series, an anthology that ran for two seasons. The history of the franchise was chronicled in the 2010 documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy.
As mentioned, the actor’s legacy in horror extends well beyond the confines of Freddy’s sweater and razor-sharp claws. Englund starred in a host of other genre projects throughout the ’80s and early 2000s, including 1989’s horror take on The Phantom of the Opera, Tobe Hooper’s Night Terrors in 1993, the Stephen King adaptation The Mangler in 1995, Robert Kurtzman’s cult favorite Wishmaster in 1997, the late ’90s slasher Urban Legend in 1998 and the low-budget creature feature Python in 2000. Englund’s influence on the genre is wide-reaching.
Englund eventually returned to the role of Freddy Krueger in 2003 for Freddy vs. Jason. It remains arguably the biggest crossover event in horror history. It’s also the last time the actor graced the big screen as the slasher icon, though it opened the door for the 2005 reality series A Nightmare on Elm Street: Real Nightmares. The only other time Englund has suited up as Freddy since Freddy vs. Jason was for an episode of The Goldbergs in 2018. While the actor has ideas for where the franchise could go when it is inevitably revived, it most likely won’t be with him in the sweater.
Since retiring as Freddy, Englund has stayed busy starring in a slew of other genre films, including Hatchet, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Heartstopper, Black Swarm, Zombie Strippers!, Night of the Sinner, Lake Placid: The Final Chapter, Lake Placid vs. Anaconda, The Funhouse Massacre and Nightworld: Door of Hell. Yes, it is important to point out that Englund has been a part of two major horror crossovers as a key player in Lake Placid vs. Anaconda in 2015.
Some of Englund’s most recent credits include a memorable guest appearance on Stranger Things season 4 and Natty Knocks, which sees him starring alongside another horror icon, Bill Moseley. Even at 77, the man behind Freddy Krueger shows no signs of packing it in.
A date for Englund’s Walk of Fame ceremony has not been set, but it is expected to happen sometime in 2025. And if you’re still looking to scratch your slasher itch, check out our list of the top 10 appearances by slashers in video games.
