Horror star Robert Englund reveals he had a hand in Mark Hamill casting as Luke Skywalker

Robert Englund, the 76-year-old horror legend who brought the terrifying character of Freddy Kreuger from Nightmare on Elm Street to life, spoke to PEOPLE about his unexpected link to the Star Wars franchise.

Interestingly, the story doesn't involve Star Wars director George Lucas, but rather Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now.

The actor recalls going to audition for Apocalypse Now, as he discusses his upcoming documentary, Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story.

Although he was not ultimately selected for Apocalypse Now, the actor who played Freddy in Freddy vs. Jason caught the attention of a casting agent who believed he could be a good fit for a "space movie" that was being cast in a nearby room.

 It was during this time that he noticed the name "Luke Skywalker" on one of the audition pages.

"What a name," he remembers thinking.

Englund revealed that he later suggested to his friend Mark Hamill that he should inquire about the role of Skywalker.

“I'm a character actor, so I never thought of it for me, but when I went back to my apartment, there was Mark with a Heineken in his fist watching Bob Newhart. I told him about it, and he got on the phone and called his agent.

As they say, the rest is history, and Hamill went on to portray the iconic lightsaber-wielding hero that captured audiences worldwide. 

Englund, on the other hand, also landed a significant role in his career as the spine-chilling character of Freddy Krueger.