Robert Englund, the 78 year old actor who terrified audiences for decades as Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street, finally received his Hollywood Walk of Fame star on the most fitting day imaginable: Halloween. The ceremony drew an overflow crowd of devoted fans who chanted “Freddy! Freddy!” as Englund approached his 2,826th star on Hollywood Boulevard, bringing along an old friend: a special version of the iconic razor fingered glove that has haunted nightmares since 1984. His co-star Heather Langenkamp gave an emotional speech recalling the first day she watched Englund transform into the demented character on set, telling the crowd that “it set your teeth on edge the minute Robert took on Freddy’s voice.”
Horror filmmaker Eli Roth and producer Robert Shaye, who built New Line Cinema into the House That Freddy Built, joined the celebration honoring an actor whose character is consistently ranked first among horror icons worldwide, ahead of even Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers. The timing felt like destiny to everyone present, with Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez noting that Englund’s legacy is “deeply entwined with the very spirit of Halloween.” Englund, who once dreamed of being a character actor in Westerns, thanked the fans who supported him through eight Freddy films and beyond, ending his speech perfectly by declaring “Trick or f ing treat!” The Halloween ceremony was Englund’s personal gift to the devoted fans who made Freddy Krueger an enduring part of American pop culture for over four decades.
