A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Robert Englund Reveals Best Advice Wes Craven Gave Him | Interview
ComingSoon Senior Editor Brandon Schreur spoke to Freddy Krueger star Robert Englund about the brand-new A Nightmare on Elm Street 7-film collection from New Line Home Video. Englund discussed the advice Wes Craven gave him when making the first movie in the iconic horror franchise, his experiences on the set of New Nightmare, and more.
“Freddy Krueger, the vengeful child killer burned alive by angry parents, returns to haunt the dreams of their children when this chilling 7-film saga becomes available as a 4K UHD collection for the first time. From his first terrifying appearance on Elm Street to his resurrection through nightmares, Freddy unleashes horror across generations – where sleep is no escape, and dreams become deadly,” a description of the product reads.
The A Nightmare on Elm Street 7-film collection is now available to purchase. Click here for more information.
Brandon Schreur: Before I ask you anything, I just want to say real quick that I am such a fan of your work and such a fan of this franchise. It’s super exciting that it’s getting this new seven-movie release, so congratulations on all the success that Nightmare has had.
Robert Englund: Well, thank you. I’m really happy to be on the stump for the collection, because I’ve realized, in the years since it’s been coming out, just how many fans only saw it on VHS back in the day. Or, maybe the early DVDs. They have that great nostalgic memory of seeing it with their mom, their dad, their step-dad, single-mom, or something. Seeing mom get scared under that old quilt on the back of the couch.
But I really encourage them, especially if they have a favorite, to check out these new ones. Because they’re pristine. They’re brand-new. The color timing, the color mix, and everything have been adjusted just exactly the way the people made them wanted. It’s really a treat.
Oh, definitely. I’m so excited for this. I remember watching that first movie at a slumber party for the first time. Couldn’t tell the parents or anything like that. But we loved it, and I’ve been a fan ever since.
Well, when I did The Goldbergs — I did that for my agent because it was his family’s favorite show — that was true. The Goldbergs, he really did have to go watch it next door. His mother wouldn’t let him watch it.
That’s awesome. Robert, you first played Freddy Krueger back in 1984. Obviously, Wes Craven made that first movie. You’ve been in a lot of the sequels since then, or all of the sequels since then. My question is, was there a piece of advice that Wes Craven gave you when making that first movie — whether it was a note about the character or some kind of discussion about what kind of horror monster that Freddy really is — that you took with you and influenced your performance for the rest of the movies?
There wasn’t really a note about how to act Freddy. Wes, God bless him, he was hands-off with me. Once he got me in that terrible sweater and the four hours of makeup. But the great advice Wes gave me early on was to respect the genre. I remembered, I had a flashback to my childhood. And I was a bit of a snob in the 70s because I’d come from the theater. I’d forgotten what a little fanboy I was and how much I loved Hammer Films, matinee horror movies, science fiction, Twilight Zone, and everything.
When Wes told me that, to respect the genre, I think it really was a profound piece of advice. It really made me always think of the sequels and each one of the Nightmare projects, to imagine them in the best possible way. Imagine that they would look the best possible way coming alive off the page of the script. I always did that with my performance, as well.
But, yeah, Wes really was kind of hands-off with me. I had to fight for the hat. Both he and Robert Shay were getting cold feet about the hat, for some reason. I sort of reminded them how the hat could help with the makeup. It could help hide the makeup because it casts a shadow, and by lifting my head, I could reveal my eyes and catch the light. Also, if I took the hat off — when I remove the hat — I would reveal further disfigurement, which was a dramatic value, too. So I kind of had to fight for the hat. But that’s about it. Wes, once he cast me, he kind of left me alone.
Sure. That was a good fight. I’m glad we got the hat.
I know, they literally put a paperboy’s hat on me once. I felt like I was going out for the bus and trunk company of Newsies.
I love it. Building off that, after you did that first movie, there were all the sequels, but then you and Wes came back for New Nightmare in 1994. Which I think is maybe my favorite film of the franchise? It’s so hard to pick.
It’s my favorite.
Is it really?
Yeah.
I love it. I’m curious, in those ten years from the first movie to New Nightmare, did that dynamic change at all between you, Wes, and Heather? Or did you all get back on set and things clicked right back into place?
I’d seen Wes a lot over the years. And I’d seen Heather a lot over the years on the publicity tours and a couple of film festivals. Wes and I had a great time at some film festivals in Italy. We got close. Not as close as we got when I did Nightmare Cafe with him, but we were pretty close. When we got back, my big experience that I remember from Wes Craven’s New Nightmare was hanging out with John Saxon every day for lunch.
They had to shoot the kid up for the rest of the day, so I was always done by lunch. I’d have my little glass of wine stashed in the catering truck. I liked a free meal, and so did John. I got John to open up and tell me every story from Elvis Presley to Bruce Lee to Robert Redford to James Dean to Natalie Wood to Audrey Hepburn, John Huston, Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, and Marlon Brando. I got all the stories from John working the cusp of Old Hollywood into New Hollywood. That was my great takeaway from Wes Craven’s New Nightmare.
Thanks to Robert Englund for taking the time to discuss A Nightmare on Elm Street 7-film collection.
Source: Comingsoon.net