Robert Englund is a horror cinema icon, and not just because of his most obvious role. Starting out in the horror films of the late ’70s and early ’80s, it wasn’t until the American actor was cast in the role of Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street films he became a household name, bringing the scarred, pun-filled dream demon to life with macabre charisma. However, Freddy Krueger isn’t Robert Englund’s only horror film to fame, appearing in a wide variety of other roles in similar horror films.
Because of how iconic Freddy Krueger is as a horror movie villain, it’s easy to see why Englund quickly became the go-to villain in the horror movies he appears in, if not a frightening secondary character, at least. That said, Englund will also occasionally appear as a supporting character or even a protagonist, with his appearance being more of a cameo. From low-budget independent films to huge blockbusters, Robert Englund left an undeniable impact on the horror genre for more than just Freddy.
10
Eaten alive
Robert Englund plays Buck
One of Robert Englund’s first big breaks early in his acting career Eaten alive deserves more credit in his horror film filmography. Combining elements from horror films about aquatic animals like Jaws with standard slasher fare, Eaten alive stars Western darling Neville Brand as the psychotic operator of a Louisiana bayou hotel who has a strange symbiotic relationship with a huge alligator that lives in the swamps he calls his backyard. When someone gets on his bad side, Neville’s Judd hunts them down with farm equipment before feeding them to the beast.
Robert Englund appears as Buck, a despicable citizen of Judd’s hunting grounds with a mind bent on sexual depravity. Buck does the dirty but vital horror movie work of a detestable character that audiences love to see get his comeuppance, with his death in the mouth of the hungry alligator being more satisfying than scary. Even though he didn’t star as the main antagonist, this character was the first taste of Englund’s potential as a nightmarish villain.
9
The Phantom of the Opera
Robert Englund plays Erik Destler, the Phantom himself
Freddy Krueger wouldn’t be the only time Englund would play a villain known for his distinctive facial burns. Best known as a play, 1989 The Phantom of the Opera tells the same story almost more effectively than an edgy horror film, even though it didn’t win any critical favor. Framed around a modern artist who is thrown into the events of the original novel after falling unconscious in an accident, The Phantom of the Opera gives a bloody twist to its namesake’s iconic drama.
Englund does a phenomenal job as Erik Destler, the Phantom who haunts the halls of a high-class theater. Updating the villain’s classic half-mask with an intimidating skull, Englund is great fun to watch as he makes his way through a hapless troupe of performers, wallowing in his obsession with the film’s time-displaced star protagonist. Able to balance the film’s outrageous gore with a healthy dose of over-the-top dramatic theatrics, it’s hard not to say that Englund wasn’t perfect for the role.
8
2001 Maniacs
Robert Englund plays Mayor George W. Buckman
It’s important to remember that Robert Englund wasn’t cast as Freddy Kruger just for his scary potential, but for his keen sense of comedic timing. It is logical that his participation in horror comedy films such as 2001 Maniacs was spurred on by his clear talent for spitting black humor even in the most depraved situations. 2001 Maniacs is a remake of the 1964 film Two Thousand Maniacs!, The film follows a group of tourists who find themselves in trouble when they become trapped in the backwater Georgia town of Pleasant Valley, whose Confederate-loving residents are out for Northern blood.
Robert Englund leads the charge as Mayor George W. Buckman, the leader of the bloodthirsty mob of Pleasant Valley citizens. Dressed in an eye patch adorned with the Confederate flag, Englund takes in the scenery of Pleasant Valley as wonderfully as ever. His spine-tingling laughter is a major revelation as the true nature of the town is eventually revealed at the end of the film.
7
The Mole of Belmont Avenue
Robert Englund plays Hezekiah Confab
As far as horror comedies go, Robert Englund was willing to help produce some incredibly obscure, low-budget films long after he had established himself as an icon of the genre. To type The Moleman of Belmont Avenue, a very independent horror comedy that somehow managed to cast Englund as a fun supporting character. The film stars its directors as two bumbling brothers, owners of an apartment building, tasked by their tenants with hunting down and destroying the mysterious presence that terrorizes the place – a nasty underground creature.
Englund has a cameo as Hezekiah Confab, one of the building’s many eccentric tenants. Despite being an old man, Confab is a rather lecherous individual, shocking the protagonists with his foul mouth and extracurricular activities as he sneaks around in an attempt to catch the mole man. It’s difficult to explain how Englund, a household name at the time of the film’s 2011 release, found himself in such an unfamiliar setting, but his presence is an undeniable boon to the film’s quasi-student cinematic antics. The Belmont Avenue Moleman.
6
Galaxy of Terror
Robert Englund plays Ranger
Sci-fi horror is a niche subgenre that Robert Englund managed to avoid overall, but still made an impact thanks to the 1981 film. Galaxy of Terror. A pretty blatant theft of Foreigner With a much smaller budget, the film’s bizarre plot begins with a human ship sent to a hostile alien planet to investigate the sudden disappearance of another crew. With an ambitious sci-fi world filled with magical crystals and strange galaxy-ruling beings, Galaxy of Terror is an early example of James Cameron’s work before he became a household name, serving as the film’s production designer.
Robert Englund plays a character named Ranger, which could refer to his name or occupation. Englund’s acting skills are put to the test when the film’s creature forces him to fight a demonic clone of himself, fighting to the sound of a furious ’80s synth. Through his expressions alone, Englund is able to say a lot about the two identical characters he plays, a loyal crewmate and an evil doppelgänger.
5
Master of Wishes
Robert Englund plays Raymond Beaumont
Interestingly, Robert Englund doesn’t seem opposed to starring in films that copy A Nightmare on Elm Street, or at least drawing some shamelessly heavy inspiration from it. In Master of Desires, the villain’s reality-warping powers are explained by the djinn’s magical powers rather than frightening nightmares. The film centers on a jewelry appraiser who finds an ancient genie trapped inside a fire opal, promising to grant three wishes. The problem is the fact that upon granting the first wish, the Wishmaster’s evil legions of djinn companions will be free to torment the Earth.
While Master of Wishes may be bold enough to feature Robert Englund in its cast, at least it spares him from having to play another powerful supernatural horror villain. Instead, Englund exists in the background driving the action as Raymond Beaumont, a wealthy art purveyor whose expeditions are responsible for unearthing the genius in the first place. His desire ends up being responsible for one of the most terrifying beats in the entire film.
4
Dead and buried
Robert Englund plays Harry
No horror icon’s filmography is complete without an appearance in a standard zombie film, and Robert Englund certainly fulfills the requirement with Dead and buried. However Dead and buried may have died on arrival at the box office, was appreciated by contemporary critics, and has since attracted a well-deserved cult following. The film is set in a small coastal town called Potters Bluff, in which a series of alarming murders are soon revealed to have supernatural perpetrators, frighteningly reanimated corpses.
Robert Englund adds his talent to the film’s cast as Harry, another citizen of Potters Bluff. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have much to do other than dialogue expository and question the frightening situation in the city after the murders. But its scenes are at least interesting to revisit after the film’s shocking third-act reveal, which puts the entire town’s population in a new light.
3
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Robert Englund plays Doctor Halloran
A strange deconstruction of horror film tropes, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is a unique horror mockumentary with an emphasis on scares and comedy. The film presents itself as an in-universe documentary, filmed in a world where supernatural masked serial killers are the object of celebrity worship. The titular killer, Leslie Vernon, is interviewed by the film’s crew and gives a behind-the-scenes look at the process behind the orchestration of a series of murders typical of a standard horror film.
Robert Englund appears in the film as Doc Halloran, a clinical psychiatrist with a special bond with Leslie. Englund’s character has a big moment midway through the film when he reveals that Leslie Vernon is not who he seems, deconstructing why horror movie villains are considered so mysterious. Halloran is notable among Englund’s characters for being one of the few to survive until the end credits.
2
Hatchet
Robert Englund plays Sampson Dunston
As great as thoughtful meta-comments on horror as a genre are, sometimes a standard slasher is the best thing to scratch that horror itch. Strangely, Hatchet is another horror film by Robert Englund that takes place in the bayous of Louisiana. Not to be confused with the coming-of-age survival novel of the same name Hatchet follows tourists on a haunted swamp experience who end up in very real danger when they become lost in the jungle and are subsequently hunted by a deformed, paranormal serial killer.
Despite his remarkable valor, Robert Englund is quickly killed in Hatchet. It performs the necessary task of giving the villainous killer an early victim to torment before introducing the main cast being a crocodile hunter who wanders into the killer’s swamp only to meet a grisly end. Even in such a brief appearance, Robert Englund’s performance is still at least quite memorable.
1
The Mangler
Robert Englund plays Bill Gartley
Of all the Stephen King stories adapted into horror films, The Mangler may be based on one of the legendary author’s best-known stories. The villain of The Mangler is, of all things, a haunted washing machine, a bulky machine that somehow manages to destroy an impressive body count through sheer evil will. Despite the bizarre logline, The Mangler is a fairly entertaining piece of horror fiction, thanks in no small part to Robert Englund’s performance.
Robert Englund provides the closest thing the film has to a human villain as Bill Gartley, the avaricious owner of Gartley’s Blue Ribbon laundry service, the company that owns The Mangler himself. Watching Englund torment his hapless workers almost as much as the OSHA-violating villain is a lot of fun, and he plays a valuable role as the human face of terror in the film. Even though The Mangler It is not critically praised horror film, is a striking example of Englund’s talents outside of Freddy’s clutches.