Robert Englund

Classically trained thespian of the stage turned busy character player of the screen before gaining international cult stardom as Freddy Krueger, the dark king of the dream world, in a successful horror movie franchise inaugurated with Wes Craven's now-classic "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984). Like Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff in the 1930s, Englund's name has become closely linked with one monstrously popular movie character; in recent horror film history, only Anthony Perkins' Norman Bates has struck such a resonant chord with the film-going public. (In contrast Jason of the "Friday the 13th" series, Michael Meyers of the "Halloween" films, and Leatherface of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" series remain anonymous to all but the cognoscenti.) Though slight of build, Englund worked his dark magic with a deep voice and angular hawk-like features under mounds of makeup. The sharpness of his razor "fingers" is matched only by his ironic quips.