A Nightmare On Elm Streethas provided endless nightmares since its 1984 release and created one of thegreatest villains of the 20th century. Acclaimed horror director, Wes Craven based the horrific film on a true story of a child dying in his dreams and thus spawned the iconic Freddy Krueger, played by Robert Englund.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
On Elm Street, Nancy Thompson and a group of her friends (comprising Tina Gray, Rod Lane and Glen Lantz) are being tormented by a clawed killer in their dreams named Fred Krueger. Nancy must think quickly, as Fred tries to pick them off one by one. When he has you in your sleep, who is there to save you?
The 1984 film became a massive success and spawned multiple sequels, a crossover withFriday The 13th, and even a TV series. The franchise and its main character are synonymous with Halloween, but the famed actor Englund wasn’t always who Craven had in mind for the role. Below is a list of actors who were nearly cast for some of the most popular roles in the first installment.
9Kane Hodder
Considered for Freddy Krueger
Kane Hodderis known to most horror movie fans as Jason Voorhees from theFriday The 13thseries. The actor represents another iconic horror movie figure and has helmed the role since its release in 1980.
Hodder may have missed out on the role as Freddy Krueger but has starred in other hit horror films as Victor Crowley in theHatchetSeries and as another legendary horror villain, Leatherface, inLeatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III.His impressive terrifying filmography will have countless fans wondering what would have happened if he had been cast as Krueger.
A Tale of Two Freddy’s
The actor, stuntman, and author would be by most accounts a perfect fit for the role. But for director Wes Craven he was looking for an actor that could match the intensity of the character he had envisioned in his mind. Hodder had the ideal stature Craven had been searching for, but despite Hodder’s horror chops, he wasn’t the right fit.
Despite not being chosen for the role, Hodder did get a chance to take on the role of Krueger, as he wore Freddy’s clawed glove inJason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday.There are many what-ifs in the acting world, but even with Hodder’s impressive resume, it is hard to imagine the role of Freddy being played by anyone but Englund.
8David Warner
David Warnerwas the original casting choice for theNightmareseries before the role went to Englund. Warner had his own illustrious career beforeunfortunately passing away in 2022. Warner was an acclaimed stage actor as well as a famed TV and film actor.
Despite missing out on the role of Freddy Krueger he still managed to leave his mark on horror movie history by playing Jennings inThe Omen.Outside of that, he also starred inTitanic, Tron,and Star Trek. He also holds the title of an Emmy winner for his role as Promponious Falco in the ABC miniseriesMasada.
A Missed Opportunity
Warner was set in place to become Freddy Krueger until a scheduling conflict got in the way. He had gone so far as to have make-up testing done, but that wasn’t enough to get him over the finish line. This prompted Kane Hodder to be brought in which eventually led to Englund being cast as Krueger. While Warner would have been a great choice and serves as a great casting what-if, if he hadn’t dropped out at the last minute, the series may not have become what it is today.
7Courteney Cox
Considered for Nancy Thompson
Before starring as Monica inFriends,beloved actressCourteney Coxauditioned for the role of Nancy Thompson. The role would eventually go on to be played by Heather Langenkamp who beat out over two hundred other actresses to star in the film. Cox was just starting out in her career and although she may not have nabbed that role, 1984 wasn’t all bad for her as she went on to play alongside Bruce Springsteen in his music video for “Dancing In The Dark.”
Scream Queen
While Cox didn’t get to star as the final girl inA Nightmare on Elm Street,she later landed the role of reporter Gale Weathers in theScreamfranchise. Cox has appeared in every single one of theScreammovies. Despite this,her involvement inScream 7remains uncertain. She may have missed out on the role of Nancy, but her career has hardly faltered. She has starred in multiple TV series, films, and even continues to make fans laugh on TikTok.
Top 10 Freddy Krueger Kills, Ranked
In a franchise as iconic as A Nightmare on Elm Street, it is hard to narrow down Freddy’s best moments. Here are Krueger’s best kills, ranked.
6Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Greyis one of the most well-known actors of the ’80s. But what fans don’t know is that she, too, almost played Nancy Thompson back in 1984. After missing out on this role, the actress went on to star in massive roles as Jeanie inFerris Bueller’s Day Offand Frances “Baby” Houseman in Dirty Dancing.
If she had been cast as Nancy, who knows if she would have had the time to give two of the best performances of the decade or have the opportunity to star in any other ofher incredible films.
Nearly Nancy
Grey’s career never quite matched the impressive run she had in the ’80s, but she never stopped working. She went on to lead the TV seriesIt’s Like, You Knowin which she played herself. She also became a celebrity performer in season eleven ofDancing With The Starsand later published a memoir entitledOut Of The Corner.
The role of Nancy may be forever linked to Langenkamp, but Grey would have been an equally great choice which would have added the cherry on top of her impressive run of films in the ’80s.
5Demi Moore
Demi Mooreis another in the long line of famous names who auditioned for the role of Nancy. Moore is known for her performances in movies likeGhost, G.I. Jane,andIndecent Proposal.The remarkable leading lady became one of the most well-known actresses of the ’90s and has become the talk of the town once again for her role inThe Substance, which has becomeMubi’s biggest box office hit. She may have missed out on this role, but it certainly did not slow down her career.
More Moore
Moore has shown an impressive range from comedies to dramas to horror. She was able to hold her own in laugh-out-loud scenes with Mike Myers inAustin Powersas well as with Oscar winners inA Few Good Men.After her recent appearance inThe Substance,she has even shown her horror movie chops. And after the rave reviews it has received, a Demi Moore renaissance may be just around the corner.
4Charlie Sheen
Considered for Glen Lantz
Two and a Half MenactorCharlie Sheenhas done it all in his fifty-year career. But he wasn’t able to secure the role of Glen inA Nightmare On Elm Street.That honor eventually went on to Johnny Depp. It served as Depp’s first role in the industry and catapulted him into superstardom.
Despite missing out on the role, Sheen was able to secure countless lead roles over the years includingThe Three Musketeers, Major League,and Wall Street. He has recently seen a resurgence after reuniting with Chuck Lorre on the TV seriesBookie, which recently received a season two renewal.
Missing Sheen
The lore of theElm Streetfranchise is difficult to separate from Depp’s portrayal. Sheen apparently missed out on the role due to an inability to agree on his salary. But Sheen admits that he didn’t properly understand the material and thus passed on it. Whatever the reason was, Sheen unfortunately got passed up for thePirates of the Caribbeanactor.
Some fans may only know him for his catchphrases like “winning” and “tiger blood,” but he is known to most as Charlie Harper inTwo and a Half Men, before being unceremoniously booted from the show. He may be known as a bad boy, but he wasn’t able to play one this time around and leaves behind a real what could have been a moment in Hollywood history.
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Though the lore behind Freddy Krueger’s persona is sometimes murky, 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street sets him up flawlessly as a franchise kingpin.
3Mark Patton
Sheen isn’t the only leading man to have missed out on playing Glen. But no one got as close asMark Patton. The role was allegedly down to Patton and Depp before Depp was ultimately chosen, gaining the favor of Craven’s young daughter.
He may not have beaten out Depp, but Patton was later cast in the sequel,A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge,in the role of Jesse Walsh. He is just one of the cast members from the sequels hoping totake on Freddy once again.
A Break From Acting
After landing the lead role in the sequel, Patton put aside his career as an actor to become an interior designer. Since being diagnosed with HIV Patton has also become outspoken about the topic and his sexuality. Since leaving the industry, he later made a move back to the film world in 2016 with the horror filmFamily Possessions. Since 2016 he has appeared in additional horror films, cementing his legacy in the genre. He may not have been Glen, but fans of the franchise will always remember Jesse Walsh.
2Jackie Earle Haley
Considered for (And Eventually Played) Freddy Krueger
Jackie Earle Haleyis another case where he was initially passed up but was later cast in the franchise. Haley auditioned for the role of Freddy Krueger, but ultimately missed the mark. It wasn’t until the 2010 remake that he would finally be able to reprise the role of Krueger. Despite the role being so embedded in Englund’s DNA, Haley is one of the only other actors to ever take on the horrific character. Haley may have initially missed out on this role, but has managed to carve out a number orwell-regarded film and television performances.
After Elm Street
Haley had an illustrious career as a child actor but wasn’t able to match the same level of success as he grew up. For much of the ’90s and early 2000s, Haley spent his time away from Hollywood, moving to San Antonio. He later started his own production company JEH Productions and even went on to direct.
After returning to acting in the mid-2000s, he has landed endless roles in the industry, including the role he lost, Freddy Krueger. Haley’s career proves the old adage of when one door closes another opens. He may not have won out in the ’80s, but proved to be more than capable in the 2010 remake and in his roles since.
1Tracey Gold
Gold was yet another young starlet who lost out to Heather Langenkamp for the role of Nancy Thompson. In what was one of the most highly coveted roles of the ’80s, it only makes sense that many of the women who were passed up for the role managed to find success in their careers.
Shortly after losing out to Langenkamp, Gold landed the role of Carol Seaver in the famed series,Growing Pains.In what was initially another lost role, Gold won over audiences with her performance and became part of one of the most successful shows of the ’80s.
What Could Have Been
It is nearly impossible to remove Langenkamp from fan’s minds as Nancy which makes it even more impressive who she was able to beat out for the role. Gold, Cox, Moore, and many others were passed up and it’s hard to say it wasn’t the right decision. Although any of them could have been great, there is only one Nancy. Gold later went on to become a popular face across television series and paved her own way. She remains another in a long line of what-ifs of Hollywood castings and will remain a small part ofElm Street’sLegacy.
