HOLLYWOOD (CNS) – A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame honoring Robert Englund, best known for his portrayal of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” villain Freddy Krueger, will be unveiled on Halloween.
Heather Langenkamp and Eli Roth are set to join Englund in speaking at the 11:30 a.m. ceremony at 6644 Hollywood Blvd., in front of Larry Edmunds Bookshop, near Cherokee Avenue
Langenkamp portrayed heroine Nancy Thompson in “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” released in 1984, and its second sequel, “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors,” released in 1987.
Roth was among the producers and cast members of the 2005 comedy horror film, “2001 Maniacs” which Englund starred in as the eccentric mayor of a Georgia town.
The location was chosen because the bookstore focused on film and theater history is Englund’s favorite bookstore, Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, told City News Service.
The star is the 2,826th since the completion of the Walk of Fame in 1961 with the initial 1,558 stars.
All Walk of Fame ceremonies are streamed on walkoffame.com, and can later be seen on YouTube.com/@HwdWalkofFame.
Born June 6, 1947, in Glendale, Englund stumbled into his first acting class through a friend when he was 12 years old, and fell in love with the craft, according to a biography supplied by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which administers the Walk of Fame.
Englund received most of his training with the American branch of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts at Oakland University outside Detroit and in regional theater.
After five years performing in classic plays on the East Coast, Englund returned to California and landed the first role he auditioned for, a friend of popular high school senior Buster Lane (Jan-Michael Vincent) in the 1974 neo noir crime film, “Buster and Billie.”
Englund’s other early films included the 1976 comedy-drama “Stay Hungry,” whose cast included Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sally Field; the 1976 Barbra Streisand-starring musical romantic drama, “A Star is Born”; the 1978 comedy road film, “The Great Smokey Roadblock,” which starred Henry Fonda; and the 1978 coming of age surfing film, “Big Wednesday.”
Englund’s breakout role came in the 1983 NBC science fiction miniseries, “V” as Visitor technician and resistance fighter, Willie. He reprised the role when “V” became a series in the 1984-85 season.
After the ratings success of the “V” miniseries — its opening night was second in the weekly prime-time ratings — Englund said he feared he might be forever typecast as a sweet and lovable alien and looked for a role that would allow him to showcase a different side of his talents.
During a hiatus from filming the “V” series, Englund auditioned for what was described as “a little horror movie directed by Wes Craven,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” Craven had intended to cast a hulking stuntman in the role, but took a chance on Englund, who brought his classical theatrical training to the role.
Englund would go on to portray Krueger in seven entries in the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” film franchise, the crossover with the “Friday the 13th” franchise, “Freddy vs. Jason,” and host — and occasionally star — in the television anthology series, “Freddy’s Nightmares.”
Englund also portrayed the character in a 2018 episode of the ABC comedy, “The Goldbergs” and supplied his ‘voice in a 1998 episode of “The Simpsons.”
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