From what started simply from an infantile obsession with Johnny Depp (note: still very much suffering from), I was quickly hooked to Wes Craven’s classic A Nightmare on Elm Street series for as long as I can remember. Considering horror favorites like Halloween, The Hills Have Eyes, Friday the 13th, and more recently, The Last House on the Left have all been brought to the silver screen a second time around, it was only a matter of time before Michael Bay got his hands on the Freddy Kruger films.

The man beneath Freddy’s flame-broiled façade is none other than Robert Englund, whom I last saw on a very interesting poster for Zombie Strippers! (I am so not kidding about that, either). Unfortunately, he will neither be reprising his role nor making a cameo in the upcoming remake. He did, however, speak very highly of Jackie Earle Haley portraying Freddy Kruger and his hopefulness for the reinvention of the horror that made him a household name:

“Well, they’re shooting as we speak in Chicago and it’s a real interesting cast. The actor playing Freddy, Jackie Earle Haley, I was a big fan of his as far back as a movie called, Breaking Away... I think because Jackie’s not real big, you know, I like the idea of his kind of energy and size. I always saw Freddy as kind of like an angry junkyard dog. I think there is something about Jackie’s size that will really lend itself to a kind of impishness and that kind of energy that I hope they let him bring to the role… I hope they don’t completely mirror the original. I think it would be smart of them to maybe change the wardrobe a bit. You know, modify the claw and glove a little perhaps, I think if they’re going to have the fun of remaking it.”

On top of his lack of involvement in the new film, the poor guy hasn’t even gotten a break from the casting directors over at Heroes! Despite that, he seems very grateful for the opportunities that he does score while maintaining a great respect for actors who beat him in an audition or replace a character he’s played for twenty years.

“I’ve been going up for Heroes but I’ve struck out a couple of times. I’ve been going up recently for some really great roles on Heroes the last couple of months. I keep getting closer and closer maybe I’ll wind up with one. I was actually up for Sylar’s Father. I didn’t get that but the wonderful actor John Glover got that part… But you know, I’m in good company… It’s fun to get back in the room again and use those audition juices, especially since I like the show.”

Don’t worry, though—he gets work! Look for him next in a horror film titled Web Cam with the infamous

Mr. Blonde

Michael Madsen.