A Nightmare On Elm Street has provided endless nightmares since its 1984 release and created one of the greatest villains of the 20th century. Acclaimed horror director, Wes Craven based the horrific film on a true story of a child dying in his dreams and thus spawned the iconic Freddy Krueger, played by Robert Englund.
On Elm Street, Nancy Thompson and a group of her friends (comprising Tina Gray, Rod Lane and Glen Lantz) are being tormented by a clawed killer in their dreams named Fred Krueger. Nancy must think quickly, as Fred tries to pick them off one by one. When he has you in your sleep, who is there to save you?
- Release Date
- November 16, 1984
- Runtime
- Main Genre
- Horror
The 1984 film became a massive success and spawned multiple sequels, a crossover with Friday The 13th, and even a TV series. The franchise and its main character are synonymous with Halloween, but the famed actor Englund wasn't always who Craven had in mind for the role. Below is a list of actors who were nearly cast for some of the most popular roles in the first installment.
9 Kane Hodder
Considered for Freddy Krueger
Kane Hodder is known to most horror movie fans as Jason Voorhees from the Friday The 13th series. The actor represents another iconic horror movie figure and has helmed the role since its release in 1980.
Hodder may have missed out on the role as Freddy Krueger but has starred in other hit horror films as Victor Crowley in the Hatchet Series and as another legendary horror villain, Leatherface, in Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. His impressive terrifying filmography will have countless fans wondering what would have happened if he had been cast as Krueger.
A Tale of Two Freddy's
The actor, stuntman, and author would be by most accounts a perfect fit for the role. But for director Wes Craven he was looking for an actor that could match the intensity of the character he had envisioned in his mind. Hodder had the ideal stature Craven had been searching for, but despite Hodder's horror chops, he wasn't the right fit.
Despite not being chosen for the role, Hodder did get a chance to take on the role of Krueger, as he wore Freddy's clawed glove in Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday. There are many what-ifs in the acting world, but even with Hodder's impressive resume, it is hard to imagine the role of Freddy being played by anyone but Englund.
8 David Warner
Considered for Freddy Krueger
David Warner was the original casting choice for the Nightmare series before the role went to Englund. Warner had his own illustrious career before unfortunately passing away in 2022. Warner was an acclaimed stage actor as well as a famed TV and film actor.
Despite missing out on the role of Freddy Krueger he still managed to leave his mark on horror movie history by playing Jennings in The Omen. Outside of that, he also starred in Titanic, Tron, and Star Trek. He also holds the title of an Emmy winner for his role as Promponious Falco in the ABC miniseries Masada.
A Missed Opportunity
Warner was set in place to become Freddy Krueger until a scheduling conflict got in the way. He had gone so far as to have make-up testing done, but that wasn't enough to get him over the finish line. This prompted Kane Hodder to be brought in which eventually led to Englund being cast as Krueger. While Warner would have been a great choice and serves as a great casting what-if, if he hadn't dropped out at the last minute, the series may not have become what it is today.
7 Courteney Cox
Considered for Nancy Thompson
Before starring as Monica in Friends,beloved actress Courteney Cox auditioned for the role of Nancy Thompson. The role would eventually go on to be played by Heather Langenkamp who beat out over two hundred other actresses to star in the film. Cox was just starting out in her career and although she may not have nabbed that role, 1984 wasn't all bad for her as she went on to play alongside Bruce Springsteen in his music video for "Dancing In The Dark."
Scream Queen
While Cox didn't get to star as the final girl in A Nightmare on Elm Street, she later landed the role of reporter Gale Weathers in the Scream franchise. Cox has appeared in every single one of the Scream movies. Despite this, her involvement in Scream 7 remains uncertain. She may have missed out on the role of Nancy, but her career has hardly faltered. She has starred in multiple TV series, films, and even continues to make fans laugh on TikTok.
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6 Jennifer Grey
Considered for Nancy Thompson
Jennifer Grey is one of the most well-known actors of the '80s. But what fans don't know is that she, too, almost played Nancy Thompson back in 1984. After missing out on this role, the actress went on to star in massive roles as Jeanie in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Frances "Baby" Houseman in Dirty Dancing.
If she had been cast as Nancy, who knows if she would have had the time to give two of the best performances of the decade or have the opportunity to star in any other of her incredible films.
Nearly Nancy
Grey's career never quite matched the impressive run she had in the '80s, but she never stopped working. She went on to lead the TV series It's Like, You Know in which she played herself. She also became a celebrity performer in season eleven of Dancing With The Stars and later published a memoir entitled Out Of The Corner.
The role of Nancy may be forever linked to Langenkamp, but Grey would have been an equally great choice which would have added the cherry on top of her impressive run of films in the '80s.
5 Demi Moore
Considered for Nancy Thompson
Demi Moore is another in the long line of famous names who auditioned for the role of Nancy. Moore is known for her performances in movies like Ghost, G.I. Jane, and Indecent Proposal. The remarkable leading lady became one of the most well-known actresses of the '90s and has become the talk of the town once again for her role in The Substance, which has become Mubi's biggest box office hit. She may have missed out on this role, but it certainly did not slow down her career.
More Moore
Moore has shown an impressive range from comedies to dramas to horror. She was able to hold her own in laugh-out-loud scenes with Mike Myers in Austin Powers as well as with Oscar winners in A Few Good Men. After her recent appearance in The Substance, she has even shown her horror movie chops. And after the rave reviews it has received, a Demi Moore renaissance may be just around the corner.
4 Charlie Sheen
Considered for Glen Lantz
Two and a Half Men actor Charlie Sheen has done it all in his fifty-year career. But he wasn't able to secure the role of Glen in A Nightmare On Elm Street. That honor eventually went on to Johnny Depp. It served as Depp's first role in the industry and catapulted him into superstardom.
Despite missing out on the role, Sheen was able to secure countless lead roles over the years including The Three Musketeers, Major League, and Wall Street. He has recently seen a resurgence after reuniting with Chuck Lorre on the TV series Bookie, which recently received a season two renewal.
Missing Sheen
The lore of the Elm Street franchise is difficult to separate from Depp's portrayal. Sheen apparently missed out on the role due to an inability to agree on his salary. But Sheen admits that he didn't properly understand the material and thus passed on it. Whatever the reason was, Sheen unfortunately got passed up for the Pirates of the Caribbean actor.
Some fans may only know him for his catchphrases like "winning" and "tiger blood," but he is known to most as Charlie Harper in Two and a Half Men, before being unceremoniously booted from the show. He may be known as a bad boy, but he wasn't able to play one this time around and leaves behind a real what could have been a moment in Hollywood history.
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3 Mark Patton
Considered for Glen Lantz
Sheen isn't the only leading man to have missed out on playing Glen. But no one got as close as Mark Patton. The role was allegedly down to Patton and Depp before Depp was ultimately chosen, gaining the favor of Craven's young daughter.
He may not have beaten out Depp, but Patton was later cast in the sequel, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, in the role of Jesse Walsh. He is just one of the cast members from the sequels hoping to take on Freddy once again.
A Break From Acting
After landing the lead role in the sequel, Patton put aside his career as an actor to become an interior designer. Since being diagnosed with HIV Patton has also become outspoken about the topic and his sexuality. Since leaving the industry, he later made a move back to the film world in 2016 with the horror film Family Possessions. Since 2016 he has appeared in additional horror films, cementing his legacy in the genre. He may not have been Glen, but fans of the franchise will always remember Jesse Walsh.
2 Jackie Earle Haley
Considered for (And Eventually Played) Freddy Krueger
Jackie Earle Haley is another case where he was initially passed up but was later cast in the franchise. Haley auditioned for the role of Freddy Krueger, but ultimately missed the mark. It wasn't until the 2010 remake that he would finally be able to reprise the role of Krueger. Despite the role being so embedded in Englund's DNA, Haley is one of the only other actors to ever take on the horrific character. Haley may have initially missed out on this role, but has managed to carve out a number or well-regarded film and television performances.
After Elm Street
Haley had an illustrious career as a child actor but wasn't able to match the same level of success as he grew up. For much of the '90s and early 2000s, Haley spent his time away from Hollywood, moving to San Antonio. He later started his own production company JEH Productions and even went on to direct.
After returning to acting in the mid-2000s, he has landed endless roles in the industry, including the role he lost, Freddy Krueger. Haley's career proves the old adage of when one door closes another opens. He may not have won out in the '80s, but proved to be more than capable in the 2010 remake and in his roles since.
1 Tracey Gold
Considered for Nancy Thompson
Gold was yet another young starlet who lost out to Heather Langenkamp for the role of Nancy Thompson. In what was one of the most highly coveted roles of the '80s, it only makes sense that many of the women who were passed up for the role managed to find success in their careers.
Shortly after losing out to Langenkamp, Gold landed the role of Carol Seaver in the famed series, Growing Pains. In what was initially another lost role, Gold won over audiences with her performance and became part of one of the most successful shows of the '80s.
What Could Have Been
It is nearly impossible to remove Langenkamp from fan's minds as Nancy which makes it even more impressive who she was able to beat out for the role. Gold, Cox, Moore, and many others were passed up and it's hard to say it wasn't the right decision. Although any of them could have been great, there is only one Nancy. Gold later went on to become a popular face across television series and paved her own way. She remains another in a long line of what-ifs of Hollywood castings and will remain a small part of Elm Street's Legacy.
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