Most of the modern horror icons have been played by several actors over the years. Michael Myers, Leatherface, Jason Voorhees, these characters have had several people under the mask at this point. But Freddy Krueger is indistinguishable from Robert Englund. For most fans, you simply canât have one without the other. But moviemaking is a tough and complicated business. Outside the obvious case of the remake, several people have stepped into Freddyâs shoes over the course of the franchise.
However big or small their roles, we thought it would be interesting to highlight some of these other actors to take on the characterâeven if they only did it for a moment or two. These people still have the huge pop culture distinction of portraying Freddy Krueger, so letâs give them a shout out.
They donât take anything away from Robert Englund, of course. These actors have only added to the legacy of the character over the franchiseâs thirty year history. Itâs tough to bring to mind anyone but Englund, but in some instances, these actors played Freddy in some of his most iconic scenes.
So letâs take a look back at some of the other people to play one of cinemaâs most iconic madmen.
Anthony Cecere Played Freddy in A Nightmare on Elm Street
Itâs pretty clear that thatâs not Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger during the fire stunt in the original Nightmare on Elm Street. That moment when Nancy sets Freddy on fire clearlyâand smartlyâutilized a stunt man. Interestingly enough, that stunt man by the name of Anthony Cesere would eventually reteam with Wes Craven, playing Ghostface in Scream and Scream 2.
An Uncredited Stuntman Played Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddyâs Revenge
Believe it or not, it was New Lineâs intention not to bring Robert Englund back after the first movie. Robert Shaye believed that Freddy Krueger was basically just another actor in a rubber mask, so they hired a stuntman to replace him in Freddyâs Revenge. As soon as they began filming with the replacement, they realized their mistake. According to director Jack Sholder, the stuntman lumbered around like Frankensteinâs Monster and was unbearable, so they managed to bring back Englund, cementing his importance to the character.
Michael Bailey Smith Appeared as Freddy in A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
In one of the more iconic moments of the later sequels, comic book fan Mark finds himself face-to-face with the hulking Super Freddyâwho of course isnât played by Englund. Instead, this much larger Freddy is played by stuntman and monster suit actor Michael Bailey Smith, also known for his roles in Roger Cormanâs Fantastic Four, Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Noble Craig Appears as Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
During the scene in which Freddy emerges from Aliceâs body, Krueger was played by stuntman Noble Craig. Having lost his legs in Vietnam, Craig was strapped to actress Lisa Wilcox and suspended from wires to achieve the effect seen in the film. The stuntman also portrayed the tequila monster in Poltergeist II, as well as the sewer monster in Big Trouble in Little China.
Chason Schirmer Played Freddy Krueger in Freddyâs Dead: The Final Nightmare
In one of Freddyâs Deadâs many flashbacks, we see a young boy portray Freddy during a classroom scene in which the young Krueger kills the class pet. The child didnât have much to do other than look generally expressionless as we hear him killing a hamster. And he does that very well.
Tobe Sexton Appears as Young Freddy Krueger in Freddyâs Dead: The Final Nightmare
Sexton has a bit more to do as teenage Freddy. His scene with Alice Cooper gives us a bit of insight into Freddyâs abusive upbringing, And you can very much believe him as a younger Freddy. We just see him cutting himself and laughing about it, and thatâs so clearly who the teenage Krueger would be.
Kane Hodder Stands in as Freddy in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
The iconic ending of Jason Goes to Hell sees Freddyâs hand bursting up out of the ground and pulling Jasonâs mask down into the earth, inadvertently setting up Freddy vs. Jason. But itâs not Freddy in that scene, itâs the movieâs own star Kane Hodder. Thatâs not only his hand in the glove, but thatâs also him doing Freddyâs cackle as it cuts to the credits.
Jackie Earle Haley Plays Fred Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
And then, of course, weâve got Jackie Earle Haley as the first major recast, taking on the iconic role for the remake. He gets a lot of flack for his performance, but truthfully I think it has less to do with him than the material he had to work with. The movie felt like it was constantly figuring itself out even while it was filming, so Iâm not sure Haley ever got to grasp his own take on the character. There are times when heâs really doing his own thing with it and times when heâs kind of stuck doing an impersonation of Englundâand thatâs where the performance really stumbles.
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Updated June 12, 2024