Englund was born in 1947 in Glendale, California, began studying acting at the age of twelve, and won ten acting awards while in high school. After three years at California State University Northridge, he transferred to Oakland University in Michigan, training at the Meadow Brook Theatre, which was affiliated with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Englund's classical training afforded him roles in theater for years, primarily in Shakespeare productions. His first foray into film was as a minor character in 1974's Buster and Billie. It would be nine years of minor television and movie roles before his big break came in the 1983 miniseries V, playing Willie, a mild-mannered alien Visitor that joins the resistance against his own people. With the public largely unaware of his work prior to the role, the perception of Englund as a meek, nerdy type was molded by his appearance in the miniseries. He then auditioned for the role of Freddy Krueger.
https://collider.com/robert-englund-necessary-for-freddy-krueger-to-work/
--Collider