Robert Englund

There probably isn’t a single person in the word who doesn’t know about Robert Englund. With his role as Freddy Krueger, he created one of the most iconic horror villains in cinema history and has become a global pop culture phenomenon. He has acted in more than 80 films and numerous TV series, currently you can watch him in the latest season of The Stranger Things.

Robert Englund is a classiccally trained actor. He started his career in theatre, where he starred in classical dramas. He first stepped in front of a movie camera in the 1973 drama Buster and Billie, directed by Daniel Petrie. He continued throughout the 1970s with supporting roles in films like Hustle (1975, Robert Aldrich), Stay Hungry (1976, Bob Rafelson), St. Ives (J. Lee Thompson, 1976), and Big Wednesday (1977, John Milius), as well as appearances in numerous TV shows. He also played supporting roles in three cult horror classics: Eaten Alive (1976, Tobe Hooper), Dead & Buried (1981, Gary Sherman), and Galaxy of Terror (1981, Bruce D. Clark, produced by Roger Corman).

After his breakthrough role of friendly alien Willie in TV series V (1983) he wanted a different role, in an effort not to be pigeonholed. Of course, this was the role of the immortal horror icon Freddy Krueger in Wes Craven’s horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). The film was an international hit and a genre milestone. He reprised his role as Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985, Jack Sholder), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987, Chuck Russel), A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988, Renny Harlin), A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989, Stephen Hopkins), Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991, Rachel Talalay), Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994, Wes Craven) and Freddy vs. Jason (2003, Ronny Yu), as well as in the Freddy’s Nightmares Tv series (1988-1990). The character of Freddy Krueger has appeared on talk shows, comic books, rap videos, and animated series.

Throughout the years, he remained loyal to the horror genre and has appeared in numerous films, such as Night Terrors (1993), The Mangler (1995, both directed by Tobe Hooper), Wishmaster (1997, Robert Kurtzman), 2001 Maniacs (2005, Tim Sullivan) and Fear Clinic (2014, Robert Hall).

In 1988, he made his directorial debut with horror film 976-EVIL, co-written by future Oscar winner Brian Helgeland. He directed his second feature, Killer Pad, in 2008.

At this year’s Grossmann, we will honour him with a special retrospective. He will also hold a Master Class. On our closing ceremony, he will receive the Honorary Vicious Cat for special achievements in fantastic cinema.

Robert Englund Master Class will take place on Friday, July 15 at 19.30h at the Main Square.