Stranger Things makeup artist Barrie Gower details how Robert Englund was transformed into Victor Creel for season 4, volume 1 of the Netflix show. Englund is best known for his terrifying turn as the iconic serial killer Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. The horror icon recently joined the cast of Stranger Things season 4, appearing in one episode, "Chapter Four: Dear Billy," as an older Victor Creel, his terrifyingly sliced eyes causing many viewers to quiver with fear.
Nancy (Natalia Dyer) first learns of the legend of Victor Creel while investigating the mysterious and macabre circumstances surrounding Chrissie Cunningham's death. In 1959, Victor allegedly murdered his family in their home, pled insanity, and was incarcerated at Pennhurst Asylum. At some point, Victor tried to commit suicide by stabbing his eyes with razor blades, leaving himself permanently blind. In 1986, Nancy and Robin (Maya Hawke) visit Victor at the asylum to question him, though only later does Nancy learn the truth directly from Vecna that he is Victor's son, Henry, and the one responsible for the family's gruesome murders.
Barrie Gower, the makeup effects department head on Stranger Things, recently spoke to Metro and detailed how Englund was transformed into the terrifying Victor Creel. The makeup department had to carefully construct a prosthetic for Englund that created the illusion that his character had sliced through his own eyes and was blind, while still allowing the actor to open his eyelids and see. Read what Gower shared below:
We were already a few months into Vecna when they approached us about the Victor Creel character, and we were really excited to do it, we thought that’d be a great experience to create his appliances. But we weren’t aware it was going to be Robert Englund at the time. It wasn’t until we’d already discussed the design of the makeup that they let us know it was Robert. From a creature and makeup effects and horror fan point of view, we were like kids in a sweet shop. We were over the moon, couldn’t believe that we were going to get to work with Robert Englund.
We built an appliance that had a domed cavity above Robert’s eyes beneath the appliance, so he could actually open his eyelids and he could see through a couple of tiny little pierced holes in the prosthetic.
Gower is an incredibly accomplished makeup artist, having worked on various high-profile productions like Harry Potter, The Witcher, and No Time to Die. He also has had plenty of practice with prosthetics specifically, previously honing his craft in seasons 4-8 of Game of Thrones as the primary designer behind the prosthetics for the Night King, the Children of the Forest, and many more mystical characters in the fantasy show. While many actors have struggled with heavy amounts of prosthetics, as Gower can attest, Englund has had plenty of experience in the makeup chair from Nightmare on Elm Street and his extensive background in horror.
It remains to be seen if Englund dons the prosthetic once again and returns as Victor Creel. However, given the logistics of casting and makeup, it's unlikely the show designs an expensive prosthetic piece and brings on a legend like Englund for just one scene. The good news is that fans can go find out Victor Creel's fate for themselves, as the final two episodes of Stranger Things season 4 are now streaming on Netflix.
Source: Metro