Robert Englund

Born: June 6 1949
Where: Glendale, California, USA

The veteran actor has the dubious distinction of being the (scorched) face of celluloid childkiller Freddy Krueger.

Outside Elm Street, he has also appeared in a series of horror movies, including Eaten Alive, Dead & Buried and Night Terrors.

Outside the slasher genre, he worked steadily through the 70s playing bad guys and rednecks opposite the likes of Henry Fonda, Jeff Bridges and Arnold Schwarzennegger.

He made his debut after five years in provincial theatre with the starring role in Daniel Petrie's 1973 movie Buster and Billie.

However, he first became known when he was cast as Willie the friendly alien in the American TV series V.

To counterbalance the cuddly role, he also landed the part of Krueger in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Apart from the numerous films, the character has appeared on talks shows, comic books, rap videos and even as an action figure.

Recent movie appearances include Urban Legend, Wish You Were Dead and Python.

The latest incarnation of Freddy Krueger came in Freddy vs Jason, where he squared up to Friday the 13th villain Jason Vorhees.