For the first time in fifteen years, veteran horror actor Robert Englund will don the sweater and claws of Freddy Krueger. Englund will reprise the role for a Halloween episode of ABC sitcom The Goldbergs. No, you’re not dreaming.
Old Freddy has come a long way since the extra crispy child-murderer first popped up in Wes Craven‘s A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984. Englund reprised the role over seven more movies, finally hanging up the claws for good—or so he said—after the bonkers 2003 monster-mashup Freddy vs. Jason.
In an interview, the classically trained actor explained his decision to step away from the role:
“I’m too old to do another Freddy now. If I do a fight scene now, it’s got to be real minimal because I can’t snap my head for eight different takes and different angles. My spine gets sore. I can still be mean and scary, but I’m mostly relegated now to sort of Van Helsing roles, old doctors and shit. So it’s fun that the last moment of me ever playing Freddy is a wink to the audience.”
Check out the trailer for the Halloween special below. The Goldbergs‘ sixth season premieres Wednesday, September 26.
#TheGoldbergs Halloween episode this year is going to be a NIGHTMARE! @RobertBEnglund will guest star as the one and only Freddy Krueger! pic.twitter.com/JduaQYqeiP
— The Goldbergs (@TheGoldbergsABC) September 21, 2018
