While Robert Englund’s made-up face haunted A Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven originally cast actor David Warner in the role of Freddy Krueger. Warner had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, but not before sitting for the makeup test.
Warner may not have played Freddy Krueger in the end, but he has had numerous genre roles over his long career, most recently playing Abraham Van Helsing in Penny Dreadful.
Update: This image comes from the documentaryNever Sleep Again, about the making and legacy of A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Update: An acquaintance of Warner’s has informed me that Warner does not recall being approached for the film, much less sitting for a makeup test. (The documentary claims he was cast, but ultimately dropped out.) So perhaps this is more of a makeup design than an actual test with Warner in the makeup chair.
