While his time as the iconic slasher Freddy Krueger is over, the remarkable career of Robert Englund is far from over.
Constantly working and promoting the horror genre, Englund seemingly cares about his work in slashers and his impact on horror fans quite a bit. This could explain why Englund has retired as Freddy in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies and has already named another horror actor he wants to see in the role.
The iconic horror performer tells Variety why he’s hung up the fedora and razor glove. “I’m too old and thick to play Freddy now,” Englund says. “I just can’t do fight scenes for more than one take anymore; I’ve got a bad neck and bad back and arthritis in my right wrist. So I have to hang it up, but I would love to cameo.”
The last time we saw Robert Englund as Freddy in a film was 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason, but the actor reprised the role for an episode of the ABC series The Goldbergs.
As for who could replace him in the role, he has nothing but kind words for former Freddy, Jackie Earle Haley, who played playing him in 2010’s Elm Street remake. “Jackie’s just so good, a wonderful actor, says the actor.”
As the interviewer notes that Kevin Bacon is a common online fan choice for Freddy Krueger, Englund seemingly loved that idea. “I know he respects the genre, and he’s such a fine physical actor,” he says. “I think that in the silences and in the way Kevin moves — it would be interesting.”
Kevin Bacon is best known for his work in films like Footloose and X-Men: First Class but made his name with horror hits like Friday The 13th, Tremors, Hollow Man, and the recent You Should Have Left. Fans have often cited Bacon as a perfect pick for an Elm Street reboot, and this writer feels like it would also be an ideal pick.
Englund even has ideas for how Freddy would work in the modern age. “You’d have to deal with technology and culture,” he says. “For instance, if one of the girls was an influencer, it would be interesting for Freddy to somehow haunt her subconscious and manifest himself, perhaps exploit everybody that followed her.”
Even without him in the role, Robert Englund still knows how to craft some deliciously dark Freddy scares. You can learn more about the legendary horror icon in his new documentary, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, on June 6th. Watch the trailer here.
Originally published May 31, 2023. Updated July 4, 2023.
