Cassandra Peterson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cassandra Peterson
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Peterson in 2011
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Cassandra Gay Peterson
September 17, 1951 Manhattan, Kansas, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress, writer, comedian, television personality, author, dancer, singer |
| Years active | 1970–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Mark Pierson
(m. 1981; div. 2003) |
| Partner(s) | Teresa Wierson (2002–present) |
| Children | 1 |
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Cassandra Peterson (born September 17, 1951) is an American actress, writer, and comedian. She is most famous for playing the character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Elvira is a spooky but funny "horror hostess" who introduces scary movies.
Cassandra Peterson became well-known on a Los Angeles TV station called KHJ-TV. She hosted a weekly show called Elvira's Movie Macabre. On this show, Elvira would introduce old B-movies (lower-budget films) with funny comments. Peterson created the Elvira character while working with a comedy group called The Groundlings.
Because Elvira's Movie Macabre was so popular, two movies starring Elvira were made: Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) and Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001). The TV show also came back in 2010 and again in 2014 for a series on Hulu. In 2021, Elvira celebrated her 40th anniversary with a special show on Shudder.
Peterson has also appeared as Elvira in many other TV shows and films. She was a guest commentator at WrestleMania 2 and a guest judge on shows like RuPaul's Drag Race and Halloween Wars.
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Early Life and Interests
Cassandra Peterson was born in Manhattan, Kansas. When she was a toddler, she had a serious accident that required her to spend three months in the hospital. This accident resulted in scars on her body.
Peterson shared in an interview that she was always interested in horror-themed toys as a child. While other girls played with Barbie dolls, she preferred spooky toys. She saw her first horror film, House on Haunted Hill, in elementary school. She later graduated from Palmer High School in Colorado Springs.
Cassandra's Career Journey
Starting Out in Entertainment
When Cassandra Peterson was in high school, she was inspired by a movie to visit Las Vegas, Nevada. She convinced her parents to let her see a live show there. Even though she was only 17, she was noticed by the show's staff and signed a contract. After finishing high school, she moved to Las Vegas. She became a showgirl in a famous show called "Vive Les Girls!" at The Dunes hotel. While working there, she even met the famous singer Elvis Presley!
In the early 1970s, Peterson moved to Italy. She became the lead singer for Italian rock bands called I Latins 80 and The Snails. She also got a small part in a film called Roma (1972). Later, she toured nightclubs with a musical comedy act.
In 1979, she joined a comedy group in Los Angeles called The Groundlings. Here, she created a funny character that was a bit like a "Valley girl". This character later helped inspire the Elvira persona.
Elvira: The Mistress of the Dark Begins
How Elvira Became Famous
In 1981, a Los Angeles TV station wanted to bring back a horror movie show. They decided to have a female host. Cassandra Peterson auditioned and won the role! The producers let her create the look and personality for the new host. They got ideas from a Japanese Kabuki makeup book and the hairstyles of a music group called The Ronettes. This is how the famous Elvira look was born.
Elvira quickly became very popular. She wore a tight, low-cut black gown and had big, dark hair. Her character was funny and sarcastic, often making jokes about the scary movies she introduced. She would often say, "Unpleasant dreams," at the end of her show. Cassandra Peterson said that Elvira is like her own teenage self – someone who just says what she feels.
The Elvira character grew from a small fan base into a huge brand. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Elvira's image appeared on many products. These included Halloween costumes, comic books, action figures, and even pinball machines. She also hosted Halloween specials on MTV.
Elvira's fame reached its peak with the 1988 movie Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. Cassandra Peterson helped write the script for this film. Later, in 2000, Peterson and her manager decided to make a second Elvira movie, Elvira's Haunted Hills. They filmed it in Romania.
In 2010, Elvira's Movie Macabre returned to TV. In 2014, a new series called 13 Nights of Elvira was made for Hulu. Cassandra Peterson has also been working on ideas for a sequel to the 1988 movie and an animated Elvira project.
Elvira on Home Video
In 1985, Elvira started hosting a series of horror movies released on home video. She carefully chose many of these films herself. She preferred tamer horror movies, avoiding very violent ones.
The success of these videos led to other collections, like Elvira's Midnight Madness. In 2004, a DVD collection called Elvira's Box of Horrors brought Elvira back as a horror movie host.
The Elvira Show Pilot
In 1993, Cassandra Peterson filmed a pilot episode for a TV show called The Elvira Show for CBS. It was a sitcom based on the 1988 movie. The show was about Elvira and her family moving into a new neighborhood and dealing with curious neighbors. However, the show was not picked up by the network.
Other Film Projects
Cassandra Peterson has also acted in movies where she did not play Elvira. She appeared in Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) with her friend Paul Reubens. She was also in Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1987) and All About Evil (2010). More recently, she appeared in Rob Zombie's The Munsters movie in 2022.
Cassandra's Personal Life
Cassandra Peterson married musician Mark Pierson in 1981. He also became her personal manager. They had one daughter together and later divorced in 2003.
In 2021, Peterson released her memoir, Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark. In the book, she shared that she has been in a relationship with a partner, Teresa "T" Wierson, since 2002.
Peterson has been a vegetarian for many years. As of 2021, she still mostly eats a vegetarian diet.
Filmography
Music and Albums
Cassandra Peterson has recorded several songs and comedy skits for her Elvira Halloween albums. These were released in the 1980s and 1990s:
- Elvira and the Vi-Tones: 3-D TV (1982)
- Elvira Presents Vinyl Macabre: Oldies but Ghoulies (Volume 1) (1983)
- Elvira Presents Haunted Hits (1987)
- Elvira Presents Monster Hits (1994)
- Elvira Presents Revenge of the Monster Hits (1995)
- Elvira's Gravest Hits (2010)
She also sang on a song called "Zombie Killer" for the band Leslie and the LY's in 2008. In 2018, she worked with singer Kim Petras on the song "Turn Off the Light".
See also
In Spanish: Cassandra Peterson para niños
- Midnight movie
