While the Nightmare On Elm Street’s original, even worse Freddy Krueger recasting. It is hard to recast the iconic Freddy Krueger, unlike the quieter, less visible villains of many rival slasher franchises, his popularity owes a lot to original actor Robert Englund. Englund excelled at making Freddy authentically terrifying in 1984’s original A Nightmare On Elm Street and managed to make the movie’s flawed first sequel watchable thanks to his sinister screen presence.
Moreover, Englund famously kept Freddy interesting and watchable as the A Nightmare On Elm Street franchise leaned into the character’s comedic side more and more. So when it came time to recast the Springwood Slasher, it was a significant challenge for those involved. Even the Englund-approved Freddy Krueger replacement Kevin Bacon would have trouble juggling horror and comedy as deftly as Englund could, making the star a tough actor to follow.
2010’s Nightmare On Elm Street made a solid stab at this feat by hiring Jackie Earle Haley, a well-established character actor who was hot off a pair of critically acclaimed turns in Nightmare On Elm Street movies, the original first choice for the role was far worse, as Billy Bob Thornton almost played Freddy Krueger.
Billy Bob Thornton Almost Played Freddy Krueger
As bad as Jackie Earle Haley’s casting turned out to be, his work in Little Children and Watchmen at least made the choice logical. The alternative was a lot less easy to understand, but for some reason, Billy Bob Thornton was rumored to be attached to the role for some time while the Nightmare On Elm Street remake was in pre-production. Despite the Bad Santa star’s charismatic array of sleazes and anti-villains making him a poor fit for the role of the sadistic Freddy, producers evidently assumed that Thornton could dial down the charm and dial up the creepiness to play Freddy.
While this was not the Fargo, that role required the actor to lean into his manipulative charm and play up his smug, slick persona. In contrast, Freddy Krueger is a seedier sort of villain and far from a winking, smarmy charmer. Not only that, but Thornton’s strongest performances (like his superb directorial debut Sling Blade) prove the actor is arguably at his best when straying from his semi-villainous persona and playing tragic innocents. As such, the A Nightmare On Elm Street franchise was a woeful fit for Thornton, and viewers were fortunate to miss out on his role in 2010’s Nightmare On Elm Street.
