Star Regrets Letting Johnny Depp Take His Role in Epic Movie Saga for 42 Years!

Among the iconic horror films of the 1980s, there’s the classic written and directed by Wes Craven—known for the Scream horror series. The movie? Freddy. Starring Robert Englund and Heather Langenkamp, this film also marked Johnny Depp’s cinematic debut. Yet, this role, which has haunted many viewers, could have easily gone to another actor of his generation.

Charlie Sheen Turned Down a Role in Freddy

The actor who missed out on this horror classic is Charlie Sheen, best known for the series Two and a Half Men. At the time, Martin Sheen’s son wasn’t yet famous. Thanks to his father, Charlie Sheen spent his childhood on movie sets, mingling with greats like Terrence Malick and Francis Ford Coppola.

It’s no surprise then that he was considered for a role in Freddy. According to Bob Shaye, the founder of New Line Cinema, Charlie Sheen asked for too much money, wanting about $3,000 per week—which was far too much for the production, especially since he was not yet a known actor (at that time, Charlie had only appeared in Grizzly II: Revenge).

This claim, however, is contested by Charlie Sheen himself. In reality, the actor underestimated Wes Craven’s movie: “I didn’t ask for too much money (…) I’ve never been so wrong about a script“, he admitted, as reported by Far Out Magazine. He made no secret of his opinion to the director.

The Actor Had No Faith in the Film’s Success

Charlie Sheen recalls daring to tell Wes Craven: “Listen, with all due respect, and as a fan of your talent, I just can’t see this guy with a ridiculous hat, a decayed face, a striped sweater, and snapping fingers. I don’t see how it could work.” That “guy” is, of course, the terrifying Freddy Krueger, played for over twenty years by Robert Englund.

Misjudging the film’s massive potential, Charlie Sheen missed his chance. The role of Glen, the boyfriend of heroine Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), ultimately went to Johnny Depp. Fans still vividly remember the scene of his death, when Freddy pulls him through his bed, causing a blood geyser.

Ultimately, the movie was so successful that Freddy became a saga, one of the longest in film history, with no fewer than eight films:

• A Nightmare on Elm Street, followed by Freddy’s Revenge by Jack Sholder (1985),
• The Dream Warriors by Chuck Russell (1987)
• The Dream Master by Renny Harlin (1988)
• The Dream Child by Stephen Hopkins (1989)
• Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare by Rachel Talalay (1991),
• Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994),

Not to mention the crossover Freddy vs. Jason by Ronny Yu (2003), and the remake of the first film by Samuel Bayer. A striking success that Charlie Sheen did not partake in.