“I had this grand idea that Elvira’s kind of the Santa Claus of Halloween.”
Self-proclaimed Queen of Halloween, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, with her signature black bouffant hair and plunging neckline, is the campy queen of horror who started life as Cassandra Peterson, a midwestern girl from Kansas. At 69, she’s still going strong as evidenced in her latest video Don’t Cancel Halloween.
Born in 1951 in Manhattan KS, Peterson was two when a pot of water boiling Easter eggs tipped over on her, burning over 35% of her body and resulting in a three-month hospital stay. Her visible scarring made her a frequent target of bullying by other kids. Her response was to develop a quick wit and sharp sarcasm skills as a coping mechanism.
Growing up dreaming of becoming a dancer and singer, she was inspired by another midwestern girl, Ann Margaret in Viva Las Vegas. At 17, Peterson talked her parents into taking her to see a live Las Vegas show. At the show, she was approached by staff and signed a contract to become a performer. But first she had to graduate high school.
After graduation, Peterson began performing in Vive Les Girls! as a showgirl. It was here she met Elvis Presley who she says she spent “an afternoon, evening, night and part of the next day” with. She credits Presley with encouraging her to get out of Vegas and pursue a singing career. She went to Europe, honing her singing, dancing and acting skills, including a small role in a Fellini film, before heading back to the US where she performed in nightclubs and gay bars around the country.
A series of bit parts led her to Hollywood where she joined The Groundlings, an improv troop with famous alumni like Will Ferrell, Julia Sweeney, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and Paul Reubens. Her signature creation in the group was a Valley-girl persona that eventually evolved into her most famous character.
Elvira debuted in 1981 as the hostess of Fright Night, a weekend show on a local LA TV station. Hired to replace the current host Maila Numi, who left the show due to creative differences, Peterson created the sexy punk rock/vampire character Elvira. Her form fitting, plunging neckline costume was strategically designed to cover her childhood scars. It was created, she says, “to show only the good bits.” Her signature signoff was to wish the viewers “unpleasant dreams.” Before the show aired Numi sued Peterson, accusing her of stealing her likeness Vampira. The court ruled in Peterson’s favor and Elvira was born.
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, with her sexy double-entendres, satirical comments and well-written satire, became a cult favorite. Spinning her character into a popular brand, Peterson had her own movies, action figures, trading cards, comic books, pinball machines, calendars, videogame characters, perfume, and of course Halloween costumes and décor. A smart, hardworking businesswoman, Peterson owns the rights to her image and has capitalized on that with writing, creating and controlling the Elvira persona.
She’s also appeared as other characters, most notably a biker gang mama in her fellow Groundling friend’s movie Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. Peterson is also a voice actor in animated cartoons and is currently writing an autobiography set to release in 2021. She credits her vegan lifestyle and rigorous exercise routine for the ability to still fit into the Elvira costume. She hopes that even after she retires, a host of other Elviras will carry on. “You know, Dracula still works and he’s dead” she says.
Happy Halloween. Here’s hoping you have unpleasant dreams.