Who is Robert Englund married to? All about family as Horror legend honored with star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Robert Englund got married to Nancy Booth on October 1, 1988.

Booth and Englund got into a relationship after they met on the set of 976-EVIL, where she provided the eerie voice of “Horrorscope.” A creative force in her own right, Nancy built a steady career in Hollywood’s art departments, lending her skills as a set dresser and behind-the-scenes designer.

This year, Robert Englund, forever etched in pop culture as Freddy Krueger, was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The ceremony fittingly unfolded on Halloween, turning into something of a horror fan’s dream. Dozens of Freddy impersonators filled the street, while Robert Englund, ever the showman, slipped his hand into Krueger’s iconic glove and grinned through a haze of smoke beside his star. Nancy Booth, his wife of 37 years, stood proudly with him.

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Robert Englund celebrates Walk of Fame induction surrounded by Freddy fans on Halloween

After decades of haunting dreams as Freddy Krueger, Robert Englund finally received a well-earned moment in the spotlight. On Friday, the horror veteran was inducted onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame, taking home the 2,826th star awarded by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Entertainment Weekly reported. The celebration played out like a love letter to horror itself.

Fans dressed for the occasion chanted “Freddy!” as Robert Englund addressed the crowd, reflecting on a career that had spanned fifty years and countless nightmares. He thanked those who had stood beside him through television hits like Stranger Things and The Goldbergs, and films including Urban Legend. And, in a wink to his horror roots, he capped off his speech with a grin and the words,

“Trick or f**king treat!”

Heather Langenkamp, forever remembered as Nancy Thompson, took the stage to celebrate her longtime co-star. She recalled Englund’s meticulous approach to his work, saying he was “always rehearsing until they rolled the camera. He would work on his right shoulder, dipping a little lower than his left. The glove, always ready to slash you at a given moment.” Her first glimpse of him in full Freddy costume, she admitted, was unforgettable.

“The take goes along and Robert Englund raises his glove, and he says, ‘This is God.’ It was blasphemous. It was hideous. It was so evil. It sent chills up every spine in that back alley, and, for the first time, I realized, ‘holy s---, I'm in a slasher movie.’”

Langenkamp said Robert Englund's contribution to horror would outlive them all, that even in a hundred years, his name would still be synonymous with cinematic fear.

Director Eli Roth echoed the sentiment, calling it “perfect” to celebrate Englund on Halloween. He hailed him as “a man who truly understands how to find the humanity, even in a monster.” Roth also pointed out what set Freddy apart from every other masked killer:

“Freddy is always first! Always. That is no accident. Freddy Krueger was the first time a killer in a slasher movie spoke. Up until then, slashers were silent assassins or a breather. Avatars for the unstoppable force of death. But Robert made death fun! Just so f**king fun.”

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How Nancy Booth played a key role in launching Robert Englund’s documentary journey

In 2023, Screen Rant spoke with directors Gary Smart and Christopher Griffiths about their documentary Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story. The film traced the career of Robert Englund. Along with interviews with Englund himself, the project included appearances from his wife and former art and set decorator Nancy Booth, as well as horror icons Tony Todd, Heather Langenkamp, Lin Shaye, and Eli Roth.

During the conversation, Screen Rant asked the filmmakers what it was like approaching Robert Englund with the idea of chronicling his entire career, not just his horror legacy, but everything that had shaped his artistic journey. Gary Smart recalled,

"We'd been kind of told beforehand that Robert was quite difficult to get a hold of, and you had to go through his management agency, and obviously, they all protect their clients. A couple of Brits contacting, asking someone to do a documentary, other than saying, 'We love your work,' that doesn't really go down well, sometimes."

"So we had another avenue, which was through Nancy, Robert's wife, because our friend Michael Perez, who produced Never Sleep Again, and many other documentaries, he obviously knew Nancy, and he said, 'Here's her email address, send her an email, and hopefully, she will then be that kind of gatekeeper for you,'" added Gary Smart.

Gary Smart went on to explain how he reached out personally:

"So, I wrote Nancy a really long email, and it was cheesy and cliche, but it was from the heart, really, about my love of Robert, and particularly Robert outside of Freddy Krueger. I'd followed his career more of the horror genre, as opposed to, obviously, what we identified in the doc with his drama and comedy. But I'd always followed him, especially from his work in the '90s to the early 2000s, when he's done a lot of horror films. The next thing you know, she messaged back saying, 'Robert would like to talk to you on Sunday at 8 p.m.'"

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Filmmakers reveal Robert Englund’s deep bond with spouse amid documentary

Later in the conversation, Screen Rant asked the filmmakers if there were any aspects of Englund’s personal life or career that he felt hesitant to explore on camera, given his otherwise straightforward approach. Gary Smart explained,

"I think our relationship developed with him with the interviews, and we can see in our interviews how we've developed our relationship with him. But I just don't think there's anything there. He touched upon his first wife very briefly, really, in a positive way, in a nice way, amicable. Because Nancy is so important to him now, I think he would avoid probably going to in detail about her, because, obviously, Nancy's this big figure in his life. She's more than just his wife, she's his confidant, his manager."

According to a 2012 report from The Irish Times, the couple did not have any children.