Cassandra Peterson is an actor, singer, and writer best known for creating the horror character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark — the Queen of Halloween.
Peterson’s early life was a stark contrast to her famous persona. Growing up in Kansas and Colorado, she endured serious burn scars and played the accordion for fun while her family ran a costume shop. As a teenager, she moved to Las Vegas to work as an underage showgirl. During this time, she became a (virgin) groupie and go-go dancer performing for troops, leading to adventures that included making out with both Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix.
After a stint as the lead singer of an Italian pop/funk/bossa nova band, Peterson relocated to Los Angeles in 1980 and joined the then-new comedy troupe, the Groundlings. Her peers included comedy legends like Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman) and Phil Hartman.
In 1981, Peterson was cast to host a horror show and was allowed to create her own character. Thus, Elvira was born — a sexy, sarcastic, and hilarious personality that quickly became a fan favorite. She hosted Elvira’s Movie Macabre from 1981 to 1986, taking over from Maila Nurmi (Vampira), who later filed a lawsuit claiming likeness infringement. However, the court ruled in Peterson’s favor.
Throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, Peterson made countless appearances, hosted Saturday Night Live, wrote and starred in two films as Elvira, and launched decades of ghoulishly popular licensed merchandise. Today, Elvira remains a beloved cult icon, continuing to enchant fans with her wit, charm, and spooky allure.
In 2021, Elvira thrilled fans by publishing her memoir. (We have reviewed said book here.) The memoir detailed not only her long but emotionally abusive marriage to a man from 1981-2003 but revealed Peterson had been in a relationship with a woman she met at her gym, Teresa Wierson (referred to affectionately as “T”), since 2002. Peterson and T are still together to this day.