HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Robert Barton Englund (born June 6, 1947) is an American actor and director. He is best known for playing the supernatural
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
Freddy Krueger in the '' Nightmare on Elm Street'' film series. Classically trained at the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...
, Englund began his career as a stage actor in regional theatre, and made his film debut in '' Buster and Billie'' in 1974. After supporting roles in films in the 1970s such as '' Stay Hungry'', '' A Star Is Born'', and '' Big Wednesday'', Englund had his breakthrough as the resistance fighter Willie in the miniseries '' V'' in 1983. Following his performance in the original '' A Nightmare on Elm Street'' in 1984, he became closely associated with the horror film genre, and is widely-regarded as one of its iconic actors.


Early life

Englund was born on June 6, 1947, in
Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from 191,719 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth-larges ...
, the son of Janis (
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
MacDonald) and John Kent Englund, an aeronautics engineer who helped develop the
Lockheed U-2 The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "''Dragon Lady''", is an American single- jet engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It provides d ...
airplane. He is of part Swedish ancestry and part Scottish ancestry. Englund began studying acting at the age of twelve, accompanying a friend to a children's theater program at
California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it has the second largest un ...
. While in high school, he attended ''Cranbrook Theatre School'' (organized by the Cranbrook Educational Community) in Bloomfield Hills,
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
. He then attended
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
for three years, before dropping out and transferring to Michigan's
Oakland University Oakland University is a public university, public research university in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills, Michigan. Founded in 1957 through a donation of Matilda Dodge Wilson, it was initially known as Michigan State ...
, where he trained at the Meadow Brook Theater, at the time a branch of the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...
. Englund had five successful years performing in regional theater including plays by Shakespeare and Bernard Shaw. He married for the first time in 1968 to a nurse Elizabeth Gardner, whom he divorced in 1972. Shortly afterward, he returned to the West Coast in search of film work, and landed a supporting role in the film '' Buster and Billie'', directed by Daniel Petrie.


Career

In 1976, Englund auditioned for the role of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker in ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...
.'' While he didn't get either part, he suggested Mark Hamill for the role of Luke. Englund appeared in the 1977 film ''
Eaten Alive ''Eaten Alive'' (known under various alternate titles, including ''Death Trap'', ''Horror Hotel'', and ''Starlight Slaughter'', and stylized on the poster as ''Eaten Alive!'') is a 1976 American horror film directed by Tobe Hooper, and written ...
'' directed by Tobe Hooper. He then played Ranger in ''
Galaxy of Terror ''Galaxy of Terror'' is a 1981 science fiction horror film produced by Roger Corman through New World Pictures and directed by Bruce D. Clark. It was distributed by United Artists. It stars Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Ray Walston and Taaffe O' ...
,'' produced by
Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...
, which was released in 1981. Since then, Englund has made over 100 appearances on film and television. In his early film roles, Englund was usually typecast as a nerd or a redneck, and he first gained attention in the role of Visitor technician and resistance fighter
Willie Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and sc ...
in the 1983 miniseries '' V,'' as well as the 1984 sequel '' V: The Final Battle,'' and '' V: The Series,'' in which he was a regular cast member. But after such typecasting, Englund went against type when he accepted the role of Freddy Krueger, the psychotic burn victim and child murderer in
Wes Craven Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...
's hugely successful '' A Nightmare on Elm Street'' in 1984. He reprised his role as Freddy Krueger in '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge'' (1985), '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors'' (1987), '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master'' (1988), '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child'' (1989), '' Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare'' (1991), '' Wes Craven's New Nightmare'' (1994) and ''
Freddy vs. Jason ''Freddy vs. Jason'' is a 2003 American slasher film directed by Ronny Yu and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. It is a crossover between the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' and ''Friday the 13th'' series, being the eighth installment ...
'' (2003). His association with the genre led him to top-billed roles in '' The Phantom of the Opera'' (1989), '' The Mangler'' (1995) – another film directed by Tobe Hooper, and ''
2001 Maniacs ''2001 Maniacs'' is a 2005 American comedy horror film directed by Tim Sullivan and starring Robert Englund, Lin Shaye, Jay Gillespie, Dylan Edrington, and Matthew Carey. It is a remake of the 1964 film ''Two Thousand Maniacs!'' written and dire ...
'' (2005). Englund is one of only four actors to portray a horror character eight consecutive times, the other three being Doug Bradley, who portrayed the Pinhead character eight times in the '' Hellraiser'' film series, Tobin Bell who played Jigsaw, and
Brad Dourif Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He was nominated for an Oscar, and won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for his film debut role as Billy Bibbit in ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1975). He is also kno ...
who plays Chucky. Englund has said that he enjoys the role of Freddy as it gives him a break from always acting out the nice guy; indeed, many people who have worked with Englund attest to his congeniality. Makeup artists responsible for the Krueger makeup have commented that Englund was so friendly and talkative that it made the lengthy makeup application slightly more challenging. Englund's TV appearances include starring in the short-lived series '' Nightmare Cafe'' (1992), in which he played Blackie, the mysterious proprietor of the title cafe, and reprising his role of "Freddy Krueger" in the series '' Freddy's Nightmares – A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series''. His guest roles include the science fiction series ''
Babylon 5 ''Babylon 5'' is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Tele ...
,'' one episode of the show ''
MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both p ...
'' as Tim Wexler, '' Masters of Horror,'' '' MadTV,'' ''
Sliders Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * ''The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...
,'' and '' Knight Rider,'' where he appeared as a phantom haunting a film studio, and '' Walking Tall: The Series'' as well as a guest star spot on the hit TV show ''
Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film '' Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the ...
.'' His work in voice-over animation includes magician Felix Faust in '' Justice League,'' The Riddler on ''
The Batman Batman is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman or The Batman may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Characters * Batman (Terry McGinnis) * Batman (Thomas Wayne) * Batman (Earth-Two) * Bat ...
,'' The Vulture on '' The Spectacular Spider-Man,'' and as Dormammu on '' The Super Hero Squad Show.'' On the TV witch drama ''
Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcas ...
'' (Episode: "
Size Matters ''Size Matters'' is the fifth album by the American alternative metal band Helmet, released in 2004 on Interscope Records. It is the first new album since the band ended with a bitter break-up in 1998, and it is also their final album to be r ...
"), he appeared as a demon who used the services of a lackey to lure people into a decrepit household (where he lived in the walls) and shrank them down to action figure size. He also appeared on an episode of '' Married... with Children'' as The Devil. Another appearance was in a 2010 season episode of the television spy send-up '' Chuck'', as a scientist who created a fear-inducing nerve toxin, a similar character to the Scarecrow, one of Batman's enemies in the DC Comics (A character he later portrayed in the video game '' Injustice 2''). Englund performed as host of the Horror Hall of Fame awards show three times from 1989 to 1991. Englund made his directorial debut with the 1988 horror film '' 976-EVIL'', co-written by future Oscar winner Brian Helgeland and starring
Stephen Geoffreys Stephen Geoffrey Miller (born November 22, 1964), known professionally as Stephen Geoffreys, is an American actor. Rising to prominence in teen films in the 1980s, Geoffreys is perhaps best known for his role as high school misfit-turned vampire ...
. During production, Englund met set decorator Nancy Booth, whom he married. His second feature, '' Killer Pad,'' was released direct-to-DVD in 2008. During July 2013, he was in pre-production to direct ''The Vij'', about a young priest who is led by an evil genie to commit murder, and who falls in love with an old witch who is not what she seems. Englund also directed 2 episodes of “Freddy's Nightmares” first was “Cabin Fever” and the second “Monkey Dreams”. His memoir, ''Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street with the Man of Your Dreams,'' which Alan Goldsher transcribed from his dictations, was published by Pocket Books on October 13, 2009. He had also starred in the
web series A web series (also known as a web show) is a series of scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet, which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single in ...
" Fear Clinic", where he appeared in five episodes as Dr. Andover. Englund noted he would welcome a guest appearance in the ABC revival of '' V'' in an interview with Todd Sokolove from ''Forces of Geek''. But the series was canceled before he could make such a guest appearance. In January 2010, it was announced that Englund would return as Jackson Roth for the sequel to
Dee Snider Daniel "Dee" Snider (born March 15, 1955)Tayler, LettaTwisted Sister's Dee Snider remembers his challenging Long Island upbringing "Newsday", March 15, 2016Archived here/ref> is an American singer, songwriter, radio personality, and actor. He w ...
's '' Strangeland,'' titled ''Strangeland II: Disciple.'' However, as of December 2010, no specific dates or plans had been made regarding the project. Englund made a guest appearance in "The Death of the Queen Bee" episode of '' Bones,'' appearing as a quirky janitor at protagonist Dr. Temperance Brennan's old high school. His character, a friend of Brennan's, and situation were introduced as "very creepy... it's like Freddy creepy." Englund was a special guest at the 2010
Streamy Awards The YouTube Streamy Awards, also known as the Streamy Awards or Streamys, are presented annually by Dick Clark Productions and Tubefilter to recognize excellence in online video, including directing, acting, producing, and writing. The forma ...
, and also appeared as a special guest of the CA Weekend of Horrors on 8 October 2010. Englund appeared on the Creation Entertainment Weekend of Horrors in May 2010. In May 2010, he was signed for the American independent thriller '' Inkubus.'' Englund appeared as himself in the '' Call of Duty: Black Ops'' Zombies map, "Call of the Dead" as one of the playable characters, and acted out the part of a Halloween-themed serial killer in the 2010s revival of '' Hawaii Five-0.'' He also took part in a Halloween '' Come Dine with Me'' for
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
in 2012. He also appeared in '' Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer'' and '' Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon''. Although the character of Freddy Krueger is regarded as one of the most terrifying in cinema history, Englund is often described by fellow actors and film crews as being extremely friendly and appreciative of his fans, many admitting that his portrayal of Krueger frightened them as children. He starred in ''
The Last Showing ''The Last Showing'' is a 2014 British independent horror thriller film directed by Phil Hawkins. The film had its world premiere on 22 August 2014 at the London FrightFest Film Festival and stars Robert Englund as a movie projectionist who kidn ...
'' and '' Fear Clinic'', the latter was released on October 22, 2014 at the Screamfest Film Festival. Englund was also a special guest at Shock Comic Con on
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...
2015. In February 2016, Englund hosted a "Nightmare on Elm Street" marathon on El Rey Network. Englund was featured in the 2019 documentary '' Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street'', which examines the
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...
themes of ''A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge'' and the life of actor
Mark Patton Mark Patton (born September 22, 1959) is an American interior designer and actor. Beginning his professional acting career in 1982, Patton is perhaps best known for his feature film roles as Joe Qualley in the dramatic film '' Come Back to the ...
. As of 2020, Englund has been hosting the
Travel Channel Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which had previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in New York, New York, United S ...
show ''True Terror with Robert Englund'', which showcases scary but true stories about the supernatural or strange. In 2022, Englund appeared in the fourth season of the hit show ''
Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Pr ...
'' as Pennhurst Mental Hospital patient Victor Creel.


Filmography


Film


Television


Music videos


Web


Video games


Accolades


References


External links

* * *
Robert Englund interview with the Horror AsylumRobert Englund interview by AOL CanadaRobert Englund interview with The Phantom Zone
{{DEFAULTSORT:Englund, Robert 1947 births Living people Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Scottish descent American people of Swedish descent California State University, Northridge alumni Film directors from California Male actors from Glendale, California Oakland University alumni University of California, Los Angeles alumni 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors