It was 1985. New Line Cinema was basically broke. A Nightmare on Elm Street had been a sleeper hit, but the studio needed a sequel fast to stay afloat. They didn't care about "canon" or keeping the original director, Wes Craven. They just wanted another Freddy movie. What we got was A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, a movie that has since become the most analyzed, debated, and honestly, misunderstood entry in the entire franchise.
The Nightmare on Elm Street 2 cast had a massive weight on their shoulders. They weren't just following up a hit; they were navigating a script that broke every rule Wes Craven had established. Freddy didn't just stay in dreams anymore. He wanted out. He wanted a body. That body belonged to Jesse Walsh, played by Mark Patton, and that specific casting choice changed horror history in ways the producers didn't even realize at the time.
The Man in the Center: Mark Patton as Jesse Walsh
Mark Patton wasn't your typical 80s "final girl" replacement. He was a Broadway actor who had worked with Cher in Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. He brought a vulnerability to Jesse that felt different from the machismo usually found in slasher leads.
In the film, Jesse moves into Nancy Thompson’s old house. He starts having night sweats. He's screaming. He’s dancing in his room to "Touch Me (All Night Long)" in a sequence that has become legendary for its camp value. Patton’s performance is sweaty, frantic, and deeply physical. He wasn't just a victim; he was a vessel.
For years, Freddy's Revenge was labeled the "gayest horror movie ever made." Patton, who is gay in real life, has spoken extensively in the documentary Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street about how the subtext wasn't exactly a secret to him, even if the screenwriter, David Chaskin, played coy about it for decades. The casting of Patton was pivotal because his chemistry with the rest of the Nightmare on Elm Street 2 cast felt genuine, even when the plot got weird.
Robert Englund: Establishing the Icon
We have to talk about Robert Englund. In the first movie, Freddy Krueger was a shadow. He was a child killer in the periphery. By the time we get to the sequel, Englund starts to find the "theatrical" Freddy.
- He’s still scary here.
- The makeup is actually nastier than in the first film—Kevin Yagher took over for David Miller and made Freddy look more like a burn victim and less like a cartoon.
- Englund has this scene where he literally bursts out of Jesse’s chest. It’s practical effects gold.
Englund’s presence is the only thing that kept the fans from revolting. The script by Chaskin ignored the "dream world" rules. Freddy was manifesting in the real world, causing bus crashes and exploding parakeets. If it wasn't for Englund’s sinister charisma, the movie might have tanked. He proved that Freddy was the star, not the teenagers.
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Kim Myers and the "Nancy" Archetype
Kim Myers played Lisa Webber. If you look at her, she’s a dead ringer for a young Meryl Streep. It’s actually uncanny.
Lisa is the heart of the movie. While everyone else thinks Jesse is just losing his mind or doing drugs, Lisa sticks by him. She’s the one who eventually "saves" him with the power of love—a trope that felt a bit soft for a slasher movie but worked because Myers played it with such sincerity. Her role in the Nightmare on Elm Street 2 cast was to be the grounding force. Without her, the movie is just a series of bizarre, logic-defying set pieces.
The Supporting Players: Clu Gulager and Hope Lange
One of the smartest things New Line did was surround the young actors with seasoned pros. Clu Gulager and Hope Lange played Jesse’s parents.
Gulager was a legend. He brought this weird, high-strung energy to Mr. Walsh. He’s constantly yelling about the thermostat or the heat in the house, which adds to the claustrophobic, "sweaty" vibe of the film. Hope Lange, an Academy Award nominee, gave the mom a sense of oblivious concern that felt very "suburban 80s."
Then there’s Robert Rusler as Grady.
Grady is the quintessential 80s bully-turned-best-friend. Rusler brought a lot of charisma to a role that could have been a cardboard cutout. His death scene—where Jesse transforms into Freddy in the bedroom while Grady screams for help—is arguably the high point of the movie's horror. It’s intimate, terrifying, and deeply personal. Rusler and Patton had a natural rapport that made the tragedy hit harder.
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The Coach Schneider Factor
Marshall Bell played Coach Schneider. If you want to talk about the "subtext" of the film, this is where it becomes "text."
Schneider is a leather-clad disciplinarian who Jesse encounters at a gay bar in the middle of the night. It’s an insane scene. Schneider makes Jesse run laps in the rain and then gets murdered by sports equipment in the school shower. Bell played the role with a terrifying, aggressive energy. It’s one of the most memorable deaths in the franchise because it feels so grounded in a different kind of fear than just "a monster in a dream."
Behind the Scenes Chaos
Jack Sholder directed this. He had just done Alone in the Dark. He wasn't a "horror guy" by trade, which is why the movie feels so different. He focused on the psychological breakdown of Jesse.
The production was rushed. They didn't have the budget of the later sequels like Dream Warriors. This led to some creative, if baffling, choices. Why does the bird explode? Why is the pool water boiling? The Nightmare on Elm Street 2 cast often didn't have answers; they just had to react to the madness.
Interestingly, the movie was a huge hit. It out-earned the original at the box office. But fans hated it for a long time. They felt betrayed by the rule-breaking. It wasn't until the last ten years that the film was rediscovered as a cult classic, specifically within the queer community, but also by horror fans who appreciate its sheer "what-is-happening" audacity.
The Legacy of the Nightmare on Elm Street 2 Cast
Looking back, the casting was remarkably solid. Mark Patton stepped away from acting for a long time due to the backlash and the burgeoning AIDS crisis in Hollywood, but his return to the convention circuit has been a triumph. He’s embraced his role as the first "Male Final Girl."
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Robert Englund, of course, went on to play Freddy six more times (and a TV show). But his work in Part 2 is unique. It’s the only time Freddy feels like a literal demon possessing a human soul rather than a slasher villain.
Why the Cast Worked Despite the Script
- Sincerity: No one was "winking" at the camera. They played the logic of the movie straight.
- Physicality: From Patton's shivering to Englund's claw-work, the movie is very "wet" and tactile.
- The Parent-Teen Dynamic: Unlike many slashers where parents are invisible, Gulager and Lange felt like real (if slightly eccentric) obstacles.
Misconceptions About the Movie
People often think Wes Craven was involved. He wasn't. He hated the script. He specifically hated the idea of Freddy coming into the real world.
Another misconception is that the "gay subtext" was an accident. While director Jack Sholder has claimed he was oblivious, David Chaskin eventually admitted he wrote it that way on purpose to add a layer of "homophobic nightmare" to the adolescent experience. The Nightmare on Elm Street 2 cast was caught in the middle of this creative tension, and that's exactly why their performances feel so charged.
Real-World Takeaways for Fans
If you're revisiting the film or researching the Nightmare on Elm Street 2 cast, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the Documentary: Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street is essential viewing. It gives Mark Patton the floor to explain his experience.
- Look at the Practical Effects: This was the era before CGI. Everything you see, including Freddy’s head emerging from Jesse’s stomach, was done with latex, motors, and slime.
- Appreciate the Risks: This is the "experimental" Nightmare movie. It didn't play it safe. It tried to do something weird and psychological, even if it didn't always land the punch.
The movie ends on a high note of 80s absurdity, with a bus ride into the desert that makes no sense but lingers in your brain. It’s a fever dream.
To truly understand the franchise, you have to sit with Part 2. You have to watch Mark Patton’s performance not as a failed protagonist, but as a groundbreaking one. The cast took a messy, hurried script and turned it into something that people are still writing 2,000-word articles about forty years later. That's no small feat.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
- Check out the 4K restoration if available; the colors and the detail on the burn makeup are significantly better than the old DVD transfers.
- Follow Mark Patton on social media; he is incredibly active in the horror community and often shares behind-the-scenes stories about his time on set.
- Re-watch the "bedroom dance" scene and realize it was largely improvised, showcasing Patton's background in theater and dance.