It is a day for celebration for horror fans across the globe, for today is the birthday of Robert Englund, who was born back in 1947!
Some would say Englund has become typecast due to his work in the horror genre as Freddie Krueger, but in fact Englund thought himself typecast as a good guy early on in his career, which is why he accepted the role of the knife-fingered psycho in '84. He was also briefly considered for the role of Han Solo in the original Star Wars but never got the part - however he did convince a friend of his who'd been crashing on his sofa for a while to audition for the role of Luke - that friend being Mark Hamill.
Englund's portrayal of Freddy in the original Elm Street film made him an instant household name, and thanks to Englund the Elm Street franchise blossomed to include numerous sequels, a TV series, comics, books, videogames, and even a rap song, entitled Are You Ready For Freddy.
Beyond that, Englund has bagged himself a number of other interesting film roles, a notable amount of which are horror or created by Wes Craven. Notable titles include CHUD II: Bud the Chud, 976-EVIL, Zombie Strippers, Strippers vs. Werewolves, and 2001 Maniacs. On television he's known for more commendable roles, including big 80s hits CHiPs, MacGyver, V, and voice work including Regular Show, TMNT, and Justice League.
Robert Englund, we love you, bitch.
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