It is his birthday today. That gives me pause to remember one of the best miniseries I have ever seen, the part Robert Englund played in it, and how he moved from good to bad.
Illegal aliens
“V” remains one of my favourite miniseries of all time. The premise is simple. Large alien space ships descend on Earth and hover above the world’s major cities. At first the world is gripped with fear, only to be reassured by the visitors they come in peace.
“V” remains one of my favourite miniseries of all time. The premise is simple. Large alien space ships descend on Earth and hover above the world’s major cities. At first the world is gripped with fear, only to be reassured by the visitors they come in peace.
Soon, they begin to integrate into the societies of the world, bringing water to deserts and cures to incurable diseases.
However, there are those who have their suspicions of the visitors. One in particular, a news camera man named Mike Donovan, sneaks onto a mother ship to discover they are not as they appear.
Ultimately, he and others are forced underground, as a resistance forms.
Amid all this, we meet a visitor named Willie, played by Robert Englund, who just goes about his business. He endears himself to the people around him because he is kind, and he has a tough time with idioms in English. That also captures the attention of a human he eventually falls in love with.
Willie eventually joins the underground, first as a sympathizer, then taking refuge with them.
“V” came out in 1983, and spawned a sequel miniseries “V: The Final Battle” in 1984. Then came a weekly TV series called “V”, that lasted the 1984-1985 season before cancellation.
That was my introduction to Robert Englund.
Little did I know his next major character would be absolutely nothing like Willie.
The years before
Robert Englund had put together quite a resumé before “V”. In addition to a variety of movies he had guest roles on television including “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries: Mystery of the Fallen Angels”; “Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy”; “Police Woman”; “The Ordeal of Patty Hearst”; “Police Story”; “Soap”; “California Fever”; “Charlie’s Angels”; “Flo”; “CHiPs”; “Walking Tall”; “Hart to Hart”; and “Simon and Simon”.
Robert Englund had put together quite a resumé before “V”. In addition to a variety of movies he had guest roles on television including “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries: Mystery of the Fallen Angels”; “Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy”; “Police Woman”; “The Ordeal of Patty Hearst”; “Police Story”; “Soap”; “California Fever”; “Charlie’s Angels”; “Flo”; “CHiPs”; “Walking Tall”; “Hart to Hart”; and “Simon and Simon”.
Up to and including while he was on the various “V” projects, he also appeared in “Manimal”; and the television movies “I Want to Live”, “Hobson’s Choice”; and “Journey’s End”.
You’re getting sleepy
Robert Englund’s career changed forever in 1984. In “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, he played Freddy Krueger, an undead child killer who can murder people through their dreams. He would reprise the role in 1985 in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge”; in 1987 in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors”; in 1988 in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master”; in 1989 in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child”; in 1991 in “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare”; in 1994 in “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare”; and in 2001 in “Freddy vs. Jason”.
Robert Englund’s career changed forever in 1984. In “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, he played Freddy Krueger, an undead child killer who can murder people through their dreams. He would reprise the role in 1985 in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge”; in 1987 in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors”; in 1988 in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master”; in 1989 in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child”; in 1991 in “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare”; in 1994 in “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare”; and in 2001 in “Freddy vs. Jason”.
Beyond Freddy
Englund also had guest appearances in “Hunter”; “MacGyver”; “Knight Rider”; “North and South: Book II”; and “Downtown” as a regular for 14 episodes; “D.C. Follies”. He also played Freddy Krueger for 44 episodes from 1988 to 1990 in “Freddy’s Nightmares”, a spin-off of the movies.
Englund also had guest appearances in “Hunter”; “MacGyver”; “Knight Rider”; “North and South: Book II”; and “Downtown” as a regular for 14 episodes; “D.C. Follies”. He also played Freddy Krueger for 44 episodes from 1988 to 1990 in “Freddy’s Nightmares”, a spin-off of the movies.
The years after
Robert Englund keeps an acting. He appeared in a lot of movies as well as on television in “Nightmare Café”; “Legend”; “Walker, Texas Ranger”; “Babylon 5”; “Sliders”; “Married…with Children”; “The Jamie Foxx Show”; “The Hughleys”; “Charmed”; “I’m With Her”; “Bones”; “Chuck”; “Supernatural”; “Hawaii Five-O”; “Criminal Minds”; “The Goldbergs”; “Stranger Things”; and much more.
Robert Englund keeps an acting. He appeared in a lot of movies as well as on television in “Nightmare Café”; “Legend”; “Walker, Texas Ranger”; “Babylon 5”; “Sliders”; “Married…with Children”; “The Jamie Foxx Show”; “The Hughleys”; “Charmed”; “I’m With Her”; “Bones”; “Chuck”; “Supernatural”; “Hawaii Five-O”; “Criminal Minds”; “The Goldbergs”; “Stranger Things”; and much more.
Parting thoughts
Quite simply, it is hard for me to see Robert Englund as anything other than Willie on “V”. He was kind, gentle, loving and a fierce defender of humans. He was also adorable, and constantly struggling with the idioms and turns of phrase that make English so difficult to learn.
Quite simply, it is hard for me to see Robert Englund as anything other than Willie on “V”. He was kind, gentle, loving and a fierce defender of humans. He was also adorable, and constantly struggling with the idioms and turns of phrase that make English so difficult to learn.
I have never seen “A Nightmare on Elm Street” movie, and really have no interest in doing so.
However, I did meet Robert Englund at Calgary Expo, or Comic Con, and got my picture taken with him as he and my spouse tried to kill me with their razor claws.
Looking back, I should have got his autograph on a picture of Willie.
After all, that’s how I have always seen him.
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