By: Jes Sanchez
He sliced up law breakers in WATCHMEN as the Dark Hero (ish) character RORSCHACH. Now he has returned as everyones favorite boogeyman, FREDDY KREUGER in the re-telling of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. MAGX
chatted with actor, San Antonio native Jackie Earle Haley, about his approach to portraying the iconic character, accidentally slicing up his co-stars with the Freddy gloves, and the future of the NIGHTMARE franchise.
How did you land the role of Freddy Krueger?
The first time I heard about it was on the internet.
Really?
Yeah, I was just looking around. When I saw it I thought, “Whoa, I didn’t even know they were doing that.” My instant reaction was like, “Wow…….HEY!” I was just intrigued really because it is just such an incredibly iconic character.
Probably one of the biggest of the last couple of decades. Jason, Freddy, everyone knows them.
Yes, exactly I mean it just goes on for decades. People who aren’t even familiar with the movies know the name Freddy Krueger. I got in contact with my agent and he mentioned he had spoken to the guys over at Platinum Dunes about it. So we got together and had drinks with Sam, (Bayer) the director, Brad, and Andrew the producers and spoke a bit about they were thinking and what Sam’s approach was. A couple of weeks later they called up and said “Hey do you wanna do this?”. All I could think was, what an honor.
Was it a “pinching yourself moment”?
It really was and is. What’s been going on in my life the last few weeks has been insanely surreal. I’m still reeling over getting to play such an iconic character in Rorshach (Watchmen). To be able to go and then play Freddy is just wow.
How do you handle all the Alan Moore/Watchmen fans? I’m a comic book fan as well so I kind of come from those sides also. And now you’ve just opened the flood gates to the horror fans. How do you handle all that fame now?
It’s all just a thrill. I don’t know how to handle it all. I’ve been to Comic-Con and Wonder-Con and I can’t tell you how wonderful, what a warm fuzzy it is.
I can imagine.
People respond just so well, it’s been incredible dude.
Since you are the next Freddy Krueger, did you ask any advice of Robert Englund who was the original Freddy? Because there are a lot of purists who will always just love the originals. But we’ve seen the trailers, we’ve seen the clips this one is brutal. it’s more creepy it’s got a feel to it that the original’s didn’t have.
You know, I didn’t. Robert and I haven’t spoke. At one point we tried to meet but for that while I was just in the wrong space as far as time goes. But what I did do is go back and re-watch the first film, because I knew that is what we were paying homage to and re-envisioning and restarting. There are a few elements from some of the other films here and there, but to me it feels mostly like the first film. But I really do think that Sam wanted it to be darker and a bit more serious. My approach was just not to go in and do Robert. Nor did I want to go in and do what Robert didn’t do. It was just looking at the tone, the feel, remembering Freddy for who he is and who Robert has made him. Then really finding a way to pay homage to it as well as own it and make it my own. And in between all that finding ways to give it a familiar feel to it and bringing elements that the audience remember not just the sweater, the hat, and the glove but elements of the character itself.
Did you get to keep any of the props?
I didn’t and I kinda wished I would’ve been able to keep a glove. I always do that after I leave a movie, It’s like “ah shoot I should’ve…Why didn’t I keep a Rorshach head?” Now it’s like “darn, I really should’ve kept the glove.” Maybe I could still get at it.
I’ve got to tell you man THE GLOVE IS AWESOME.
REALLY!? Is it heavy?
Yeah! I mean these guys really designed the heck out of it. It is a bit heavy but it wasn’t so heavy that you couldn’t wield it. It was just perfect. It was really detailed and articulated. The thing was kinda pointy you could really hurt someone with it.
So it wasn’t a blunt weapon it was actually sharpened?
Well it was more pointy. I was at Wonder-Con and someone in the audience asked if I hurt anyone with it. My response was “No, luckily there were no accidents.” Then Kyle chimed in and said “Well, you kinda did get my stomach with that one move.” I didn’t even know that. So apparently I scratched Kyle.
How cool is that souvenir? A scar from Freddy Krueger.
I should’ve asked him if he took a picture.
So you are pegged to do 2 more after this.
Yes contractually, we are signed on to do 3 movies in total. But really it all boils down to how the first one did. Let’s let it come out and see how it goes.
If there was one dream project that you could star or direct in what would it be?
Ah man, it’s hard to say. I really have an answer for that but I just can’t talk about it right now. But it’s happening for me at this moment.
