Although there are many iconic characters in horror, it is rare when the actor behind the bloodshed becomes iconic too. In the case of Robert Englund, who for nearly two decades haunted the dreams of teenagers both on screen and in the theatres in the Nightmare of Elm Street films, the man has become a legend himself.
Horror fans screamed with joy when Englund was one of the first to be announced for the 2012 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. He is looking forward to meeting his fans as well.
"My favorite thing is seeing rare posters and memorabilia from my career that I haven’t seen before. I especially like lurid foreign versions of my horror movie posters. It is a great opportunity to ask people how they feel about my recent work. I have several new movies out as well as some recent guest star work on television and the Expo is a great chance for me to see if the fans like those performances. I am also blown away by the intricate Nightmare on Elm Street inspired tattoos that many fans reveal to me. It is also fun to meet second and third generation fans."
The Freddy character stands out from his 80’s counterparts like Jason Vorhees and Michael Myers, in that he was not a silent killer.
"Both the writers and directors were encouraged by the fan’s connection to Freddy’s diabolical sense of humor so we exploited that aspect of Freddy’s personality as the franchise progressed. 95% of Freddy’s one liners were written by the various screen writers. However, my favorite improvised line has achieved a kind of cult status. Thousands of fans have asked me to accompany my autograph with the phrase, Welcome to prime time, bitch."
Although we frequently see actors swapped out of roles, Englund and his personality were so ingrained in Freddy that many felt it weird when a new actor played him in the reboot in 2010. Englund gave his thoughts on the new film.
"Any actor working in Hollywood is aware that the town is famous for remaking and retelling its stories so it was no surprise to me when Time/Warner and Platinum Dunes acquired the rights to the NOES series from New Line Cinema and decided to reboot the franchise. I am quite happy to pass the glove on to Jackie Earle Haley. He is a terrific actor. Check him out in Shutter Island. [There are] lots of other actors in the remake that I admire as well: Connie Briton as the mother, Clancy Brown and Kyle Galner who I’ve worked with a couple of times. In fact I can be seen costarring with him in a darker than usual episode of Criminal Minds that recently aired."
Although he himself is afraid of snakes, Englund recently wrapped up a sequel to Lake Placid about a giant crocodile; as well he was featured in the film Python along with CCE guest Wil Wheaton. I asked what made reptiles the stuff of nightmares.
"I run into Wil occasionally up in LA and at other conventions. It will be fun to reconnect in Calgary. Hopefully there will be no baby pythons in my wardrobe," he said. "Some animals, reptiles and even insects (spiders, killer bees, etc) are inherently scary to humans. And horror and sci-fi movies have been exploiting this phobia for decades. Werewolves, giant apes, giant ants (Them), radioactive moths, giant spiders (Tarantula) giant snakes (Anaconda, Python) killer bee movies, and giant crocodiles are staples of the genre."
It can be a nice surprise when an actor you like pops up on a TV series you watch. In the past few years Englund has appeared on shows like Chuck, Supernatural, and Bones among others.
"My most recent guest appearances included a free trip to Paradise for Hawaii Five-0 and guest starring on the hit procedural Criminal Minds. Guest starring is always tricky because you are the new kid on the block and you have to blend in with the established cast and the tone of the show. I am at that stage in my career when I am offered a role and I don’t have to audition which is a great gift because auditioning is nerve wracking. Playing the Devil opposite Ed O’Neill on Married With Children, back in the day, was also a lot of fun. Look for me on Criminal Minds, check out Inkubus on DVD, and coming soon my English horror comedy Strippers Vs Werewolves. In the near future Fear Clinic the movie and hopefully Behind the Mask 2."
Horror movies today don’t have the same magic to me that they did when I was a kid. But horror is not dead, Englund states. You just have to look for it.
"There are still fresh, original horror movies being made. Lucky McKee’s May is a great example. Check out his new film The Woman. There have also been terrific Japanese, Spanish, Canadian and British horror movies in recent years like Kill List, which is Hit Men meets Wicker Man. Though movie makers may get a little carried away by their CGI toys, there is still a lot of primal horror being produced as well as deconstructed horror films like Behind the Mask and horror comedy Shawn of the Dead. I hope to continue working as a veteran character actor. And Freddy will continue to scare people watching cable TV late at night."
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Contributor Jason Clevett |
Person Robert Englund |
Topic Calgary Expo | Celebrity Interview | Comic Expo |
