Nancy Thompson (6 July 1965-27 February 1987) in Springwood, Ohio) is the heroine of the first A Nightmare on Elm Street film. She also reappeared in the third, and to some extent the seventh. She is portrayed by Heather Langenkamp in all cases. In the Nightmare series mythos, Nancy was the first character to defeat Freddy Krueger in the dreamworld. As explained in the 1984 film, a vigilante mob - including Nancy's parents - executed Krueger in an arson attack after the killer was released from prison on a technicality. Freddy wanted revenge on the parents for killing him.