Marshall Bell as Coach Schneider
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
Craven Connection: Writer (Characters)
You have to wonder what then 43 year old actor Marshall Bell knew what he was getting into playing the lecherous Coach Schneider in Freddy's Revenge. Initially you didn't know for sure if Schneider was just an hard coach, or a coach just hard for his players. It turned out of course to be the latter.
Freddy's Revenge was on of Bell's first films but he went on to work steadily in film and television in many roles including one of his most famous roles playing resistance leader George / Kuato, along side Arnold Schwarzenegger, in 1990's Total Recall. Some of Bell's other roles included turns in'Legal Eagles, Stand By Me, Manhunter, Twins, Dick Tracey, Air America, Payback and Natural Born Killers
It has reported the gay themes throughout the movie were initially intended to be just a sub plot, but it turned out, especially for Bell's character to be the main focus. You have to wonder if the writers used Coach Schneider's naked and painful ending as punishment for his advancements towards his student, or as punishment for simply being gay.
Schneider's secret night life of leather and bondage pulled in more than a few stereotypes and but they can be forgiven being it was 1985. Having several male to male attractions as main components of a major motion picture was really quite amazing for that time period. This is even more incredible in hind sight given the Aids crisis was at the beginning stages of being well known to mainstream Americans.
'Five hours faced down, while the make-up artists were glueing on the rubber. This scene had to be correct at the first take. And it was!'
Marshall Bell
Marshall shares more behind the scenes info and images from the making of this scene on his website HERE:
