A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) has been one of the best classic horror movies to date. So much so that even in today’s world of scary nightmarish creatures, none can outclass the widely terrorized and mysteriously undead dream demon, Freddy Krueger.
However, little do fans know that Robert Englund, who perfectly portrayed the iconic monstrous character, wasn’t the first choice of the director. But rather, it was this renowned actor from Titanic who almost ended up bagging the role.
Robert Englund Wasn’t The First Choice For Playing Freddy Krueger
The child-killing demonic monster, Freddy Kruger from A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) was one of the most instantly recognizable villains of that time, and even now. But while the character is widely known, the fact that Robert Englund, who took up the villain-ish role to perfectly portray his iconic character, wasn’t the first choice for the part just might end up shocking fans.
As per reports, director Wes Craven was looking for a stuntman to cast for a role. But due to some reasons unknown, he decided to switch to an actor instead, and his first choice for the role was none other than the Titanic actor, David Warner. For a person who antagonized Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Jack so much that he left him handcuffed on the sinking ship to die, Warner felt like the perfect match to Craven for the iconic monster’s role.
However, this choice was soon eliminated from the filmmaker’s casting list for Freddy Krueger after scheduling conflicts with him, and the Kate Winslet co-actor eventually had to exit the blockbuster despite his on-screen villainous credentials.
Also Read: 8 Disney Movies With Origin Stories So Horrifying To Give Freddy Krueger Nightmares
Robert Englund Remains The Best Portrayer Of Freddy Krueger To Date
Eventually, Robert Englund, despite being relatively unknown at that time, was selected by Wes Craven to play Freddy Krueger as the second choice for the part. But what Craven wouldn’t have imagined even in his wildest dreams was that Englund will play the horror icon so finely that the character would be completely imprinted in the hearts and minds of fans forever.
Not just this, the Stranger Things star even ended up making the movie a superhit, with a whopping 95% approval ratings from Rotten Tomatoes. Thanks to the movie’s huge success, he went on to star in eight consecutive sequels of the movie reprising the monstrous character, with each one better than the previous.
Robert Englund managed to play Freddy Krueger so finely that after he retired, fans just couldn’t stand anyone else playing the recognizable movie monster, not even the renowned villain playing star Jackie Earle Haley. Just like that, Englund still rules the audience’s heart with his perfect portrayal, even years after the movie’s first airing on the big screen.
You can watch A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) on Netflix.
Source: Looper
