In 1984, the public had no idea what was about to be unleashed from the scary mastermind of Wes Craven with A Nightmare on Elm Street. The world was about to meet the disfigured, metal-clawed, fedora wearing Freddy Krueger. An evil monstrosity who made insomnia a welcomed issue for generations to come. From that point on, audiences were afraid to go to sleep even though Freddy sought his vengeance on the parents of Springwood by invading their children’s dreams and killing them.

Often times, actors are so intrinsically tied to the characters tied to their characters that it can be hard to separate the two. During an interview with The Guardian, Robert Englund spoke about a little snooze taken while in Freddy makeup that gave him a rude awakening he'll never forget:

“I had a little tiny honey wagon about the size of a urinal, with a Formica table, a plastic chair, and a mirror with lightbulbs around it — the classic backstage makeup room. The lights were on a dimmer. I had them turned down low when I was taking a nap at about 4am, with my head resting on a tightly rolled towel so I wouldn't smear my makeup. I was waiting to be called on set and heard this banging on the door. As I sat up, I saw this disfigured face looking back at me in the mirror. The shock made me jump out of my skin. I brought my hand up, and I realized: 'Oh my God, it's my own reflection!' But it was such a startling moment that it still inhabits a variety of nightmares."

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While filming the original Nightmare on Elm Street, Robert Englund had a similar experience after he was transformed into the legendary slasher, thanks to the magic of Robert Kurtzman’s prosthetics. In the original movie, teenager Tina Gray wakes from a terrifying nightmare wherein a disfigured man wearing a blade-fixed glove attacks her in a boiler room. Her mother points out four mysterious slashes on her nightgown. The next morning, Tina's best friend Nancy Thompson and her boyfriend, Glen Lantz (Johnny Depp making his debut), console her.

They both reveal they each also had a nightmare the previous night. Several dead bodies later, Nancy steps outside into a bright and foggy morning. All her friends and her mother are still alive. Nancy gets into Glen's convertible when the top suddenly comes down and locks them in as the car drives uncontrollably down the street. Three girls jumping rope are heard chanting Krueger's nursery rhyme as Marge is grabbed by Krueger through the front door window. Sleep well.

A Nightmare on Elm Street is available for streaming on HBO Max and Netflix.