Freddy Kreuger actor Robert Englund retires, says he's 'too old' to keep playing the horror icon

There are few horror villains as iconic as Freddy Krueger. The Nightmare on Elm Street series’ main antagonist has haunted fans’ dreams since he appeared in the first film in 1984, where he was portrayed by American actor and director, Robert Englund.

Englund has been the actor behind almost every iteration of Freddy Krueger - the only Nightmare on Elm Street movie he wasn’t cast in was the 2010 remake of the original film. As it happens, no further films in the series have released since, but if we ever get another iteration, it doesn’t sound like Englund will be part of it.

Take a look at the trailer for A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) below.

In a new interview with Variety, Englund was asked for his thoughts on the potential future of the franchise, and whether or not he’d be willing to reprise his role again. Unfortunately, as a 75-year-old actor, he feels his days as the fedora-wearing, metal-clawed murderer are over.

“I’m too old and thick to play Freddy now,” Englund said. “I just can’t do fight scenes for more than one take anymore, I’ve got a bad neck and bad back and arthritis in my right wrist. So I have to hang it up, but I would love to cameo.”

However, Englund has already highlighted another actor who he thinks would be an “interesting” replacement - Kevin Bacon.

“I know he respects the genre, and he’s such a fine physical actor,” he said. “I think that in the silences and in the way Kevin moves — it would be interesting.”

To be fair, after so many years of being one of the horror genre’s creepiest and most noteworthy villains, it’s definitely understandable that Englund is ready to take a breather from it all. The franchise certainly won’t be the same without him, though.