MOVIE NEWS – The star of A Nightmare on Elm Street asked Robert Englund why he doesn’t want to play Freddy Krueger again…

Robert Englund is so fused with the character of Freddy Krueger from the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise that it is virtually impossible to imagine anyone else taking on the role. After first playing the horror icon in Wes Craven’s 1984 horror classic, Englund instantly became a defining figure in pop culture. He deserves to be on the Mount Rushmore list of horror movie villains. 40 years have passed since the release of the first film. Englund has candidly said in recent interviews that he is too old to play the character again. However, according to one of his former co-stars and Freddy Krueger’s first real opponent, Heather Langenkamp, ​​he is more than capable of taking on Freddy’s claws again.

In an interview with Bloody Disgusting discussing the upcoming A Nightmare on Elm Street 4K remaster and the film’s upcoming 40th anniversary, Langenkamp, ​​who played the resourceful Nancy Thompson in the movie, was asked if Englund thought she was too old to he plays Freddy Krueger again. Based on his response, Langenkamp disagreed with the actor’s claim and believed that he had another round of nightmares in him.

“I’ve recently gone out with him, and he has a ton of energy.”

“He’s a person that I can barely keep up with on our jaunts around the country. If he can’t do it, nobody can; that’s what I like to say. Until I see him with his walker stumbling down the street, I’m pretty sure Robert Englund can play Freddy Krueger again.”

Robert Englund suggested who should play Freddy Krueger

Englund recently spoke about his return to the role of Freddy Krueger in 2023 after the release of the documentary Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story. Englund then said: “I’m too old and thick to play Freddy now. 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.” When asked who could replace him, Englund suggested Kevin Bacon as a possible candidate, then continued: “I know he respects the genre, and he’s such a fine physical actor. I think that in the silences and in the way Kevin moves, it would be interesting.”

Englund began playing Freddy Krueger in 1984 alongside Langenkamp’s Nancy, then in six sequels and 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason also returned in a crossover movie. This was the last time Englund played the role on the big screen, although he made a cameo appearance as the character in a 2018 episode of The Goldbergs.

It sounds like Englund would only be up for another cameo like this, but most fans would take Englund back in a heartbeat and wouldn’t mind a stuntman doing the physical work if it meant Englund could be the stuff of nightmares again. Of course, Englund could change his mind at any time, but his age and uncertainty about future projects may mean that casting directors continue to look for other options instead of counting on him.

Source: Bloody Disgusting