Happiest of birthdays to Robert Englund, and Happy #RobertEnglundDay!
Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story is now on SCREAMBOX, coinciding with the horror mainstay’s 76th birthday. The documentary was shot over the course of two years, highlighting the life and career of the classically trained actor and director.
Featuring interviews with Robert Englund and his wife Nancy, as well as fellow genre icons Lin Shaye, Eli Roth, Kane Hodder, Tony Todd, Adam Green, Bill Moseley, Heather Langenkamp & more, the documentary follows Englund’s career from his early days in Buster and Billie and Stay Hungry (starring with Arnold Schwarzenegger) to his big break in the 1980s as Freddy Krueger to his directorial debut with the 1988 horror film 976-EVIL to his iconic acting status in current roles such as Netflix’s hit series “Stranger Things.”
To celebrate, here are eight of the prolific actor’s best roles in the genre… beyond Elm Street and Freddy Krueger.
V – Willie
The 1984 miniseries “V” introduced a reptilian alien race masquerading as humans that use a request for aid to invade Earth. The miniseries, followed by a TV series and a prequel miniseries, saw a faction of humans create the Resistance to expose the Visitors and reclaim the planet. Robert Englund’s breakthrough role as Willie, a Visitor, deflects to join the humans in their battle. Englund’s Willie is an empathetic Visitor with a solid moral compass that leaves him caught between two worlds, and it marks the actor’s first breakthrough role ahead of his more iconic turn as Freddy Krueger.
Nightmare Café – Blackie
This short-lived anthology series created by Wes Craven centers around a mysterious café that grants second chances after death. The magical café and its employees help avenge wrongs or offer redemption. Robert Englund starred as the Nightmare Café’s enigmatic proprietor, who also narrated the series. Though there are mischievous aspects to both Blackie and Freddy Krueger, “Nightmare Café” gave Englund a chance to play the antithesis of his most iconic role, but the series was unfortunately cut far too short.
The Phantom of the Opera – Erik Destler
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers director Dwight H. Little aimed for a more horror-centric adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s classic novel. That included enlisting Englund, no stranger to playing haunting characters, as the eponymous character. This character iteration isn’t nearly as romantic; he’s far more maniacal and deranged. Despite a disfigured appearance similar to Freddy Krueger, they’re worlds apart. Englund shows range by introducing another horror villain with a distinctly different persona.
Strangeland – Jackson Roth
Dee Snider’s 1998 horror movie about an online predator who mutilates his victims sees Englund play Jackson Roth, a community activist who takes matters into his own hands when the killer, Carlton Hendricks (Snider), escapes conviction for his crimes. Roth leads the charge in vigilante justice, only to spiral dangerously out of control. Englund’s role harkens back to the concerned parents in A Nightmare on Elm Street and the vengeance they unleashed in murdering Freddy Krueger.
The Mangler – Bill Gartley
Tobe Hooper’s adaptation of Stephen King’s short story takes on a haunted laundry press. Or rather, a possessed piece of heavy machinery develops a taste for human blood. Robert Englund always gives good villain, and his scene-chewing turn as the greedy laundry press owner opposite Ted Levin’s Officer John Hunton makes for a fun time.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon – Doc Halloran
Behind the Mask is a hysterical deconstruction of the slasher formula set around an aspiring slasher icon, Leslie Vernon. Leslie gives a documentary crew exclusive and intimate access to his life, walking them through his training and detailed plans to slay a group of teens and enter the slasher pantheon. Enter Englund’s Doc Hallorann, the take-charge psychiatrist determined to thwart Vernon. Englund channels Donald Pleasence’s Dr. Loomis as he refreshingly plays against type here.
Masters of Horror: “Dance of the Dead” – The MC
Robert Englund reteams with Tobe Hooper in this season one episode of “Masters of Horror.” The actor plays the boisterous, commanding MC of the Doom Room, a seedy bar that draws crowds over its zombie dance performances. The MC is a savvy, ruthless businessman above all else, and Englund steals every scene.
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer – Professor Crowley
Professor Crowley (Robert Englund) enlists plumber Jack Brooks (Trevor Matthews) to help unclog a pipe. Instead, it unearths a malevolent presence, which winds up possessing Crowley and transforms him into a monster. The irreverent, infectiously amusing creature feature lets Englund run wild as a stuffy professor turned insatiable creature, giving fans a new monster to love.
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