![]() ![]() In the mid 80’s Englund starred in the hour-long network TV series “Downtown,” a serio-comic look at parolees.The short-lived series also starred Blair Underwood and Marishka Hargitay.Īcting on the small screen afforded Englund the opportunity to work with such diverse talent as Lillian Gish, Jack Warden, Sissy Spacek, Martin Balsam, Richard Thomas, James Earl Jones, Bruce Davidson, Lou Gosset, Jr and Hal Holbrook. ![]() The series was a huge success.As a result Englund figured he would be eternally typecast as a sweet and lovable alien.To counter-balance this public image, he looked for a role that would allow him to demonstrate another side of his talents.During one hiatus from filming the series, he auditioned for a hot young director making an interesting low budget horror movie for the independent studio New Line Cinema.Englund’s interview with Wes Craven landed him the role playing the burn scarred dream demon Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street and launched him into horror history.Īn international hit, the movie made New Line Cinema a major Hollywood player and prompted seven sequels and a syndicated TV series.The character of Freddy Krueger has appeared on talk shows, comic books, rap videos, and even cartoon appearances as a guest on “The Simpsons,” “South Park,” and “Family Guy.” There are numerous Freddy Krueger action figures, dolls, and attendant merchandising including video games.Gottlieb came out with a very popular pin-ball machine based on the movies.Įnglund’s portrayal of Freddy Krueger blasted him into the pop culture vernacular as heir apparent to the horror icons of the past, destined to stand alongside Lon Chaney’s Phantom of the Opera and Boris Karloff’s monster in Frankenstein. Lee Thompson, Bob Rafelson and John Milius.ĭuring this time Englund was living in Malibu, fishing off his porch at high tide and surfing when not slogging through traffic on the seemingly endless rounds of interviews and call-backs that fill the days of every working actor.He guest starred in scores of TV shows as well as working alongside some of the biggest stars of that decade including Barbra Streisand, Richard Gere, Burt Reynolds and Charles Bronson.įinally audiences could put a name to his familiar face when Englund was cast as Willie the friendly alien in the hit mini-series and subsequent weekly TV show “V”.Within weeks, Englund went from questions like: “Didn’t I go to high school with you?” to “Aren’t you that lizard guy on TV?”.Decades later Willie still generates fan mail from science fiction devotees both in America and around the world. ![]() In the 70’s, regarded as the second Golden Age of American movies, Englund was privileged to work for such classic film directors as Robert Aldrich, Robert Mulligan, J. His very first audition landed him a starring role in the 1973 film Buster and Billie directed by Daniel Petrie.įar from living the classic hand to mouth existence of a struggling actor, Englund worked steadily through the 70’s playing best friends, bad guy #1 and southern red-necks and starring opposite Henry Fonda, Susan Sarandon, Jeff Bridges, Sally Field and Arnold Schwarzenegger among others. After five years of success in regional theater Robert Englund returned to the west coast where he had grown up.
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