Eerie commercials for a low-budget horror movie with a haunting title hit television airwaves in November 1984, capturing attention. At the time, few expected Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street to launch a massively successful franchise, and likely none expected versatile character actor Robert Englund to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame forty years later.
In 2025, Englund will get his star thanks mainly to his iconic portrayal of Freddy Krueger. Ironically, the role that brought him chilling fame overshadows the film, television, and animation work comprising his stellar career. For those ready to look beyond the dream demon, here are five movies and shows of Englund's that every fan should see.
1. V (1983)
V: The Original Miniseries exposed Englund to a wide network audience. "V" stands for visitors, antagonistic reptilian aliens hiding under pre-CGI human rubber costumes that invade Earth. Englund's character, Willie, was from a far-off hostile planet, although he was a sympathetic character who brought depth to the role. While not all outer space visitors are bad, their dialogue in the miniseries is often expository, if not campy.
Even though a follow-up miniseries, V: The Final Battle (1984), did well, the weekly television series wasn't a huge hit and faced cancellation. However, V's cult following continued. In retrospect, Englund's supporting role elevated the V franchise when scenes focused on his character.
2. The Phantom of the Opera (1989)
Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera had done quite well on Broadway, so why not make an exploitative version heavy on horror? And who would be the perfect actor for the titular creeping menace? Enter Robert Englund. Englund starred as the Phantom, a mysterious, disfigured man whose obsession with young opera singer Christine Day leads him down a path of manipulation, violence, and madness.
While not a critical or commercial hit, The Phantom of the Opera showcased Englund as the horror star of the era. The actor expanded his career options from the Nightmare series and showed he always had low-budget potboilers to fall back on.
3. The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)
Few recall how big of a dud this Andrew Dice Clay vehicle was. The Adventures of Ford Fairlane earned a nomination for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture and killed Clay's theatrical leading role career. Interestingly, the casting shows Englund's career was on the upswing.
Englund's hitman character, Smiley, is a saving grace, as he livens up this cinematic disaster when he's on screen. Promotional material for the film highlighted Englund's presence, showing he had gained enough name recognition for bigger budgeted studio productions and consistent work.
4. 976-EVIL (1988)
Robert Englund’s stellar career includes work behind the camera, and his directorial debut, 976-EVIL, allowed him to flex his creative skills. The weird film draws inspiration from the pay-per-minute phone line fad of the era with a bizarre premise: Satan launched a phone line to tempt humans into committing evil acts. For real...
976-EVIL’s selling point was Englund’s involvement as director. Unfortunately, the horror film reportedly suffered cuts to trim its running time, hurting coherency. While not a hit when released, it gained a cult following and a non-Englund sequel.
5. Buster and Billie (1974)
Englund’s debut role was in this forgotten tragic romance tale that gave Jan-Michael Vincent a lead role. The story centers on Buster’s (Vincent) love for a bad girl, Billie, who is exploited by others in their high school. Englund’s role is firmly supporting, but his presence helps flesh out the dynamic between Buster and his peers.
Buster and Billie featured a tragic and dark ending that sometimes hurt a film’s potential with mainstream fans. Englund didn’t get wide exposure, but he got a start. That’s no small benefit.
Honorable mentions go to The Mangler (1995) and 2001 Maniacs (2005). Those mentions extend to the nearly 150 credits he earned, including a recurring role on Stranger Things (2022) and voicing The Riddler on The Batman (2004) animated series.
At 77 years old, Robert Englund enjoys semi-retirement. He hits the convention circuit routinely, and you can still expect to see him part of the horror scene for as long as he wishes.