Cassandra Peterson rose to fame for her horror hostess role of Elvira. Her real life was every bit as terrifying—and titillating—as the films she presented to audiences.
1. She Led A Life Of Horror And Humor
Horror film fans would know Cassandra Peterson as the sultry, silly, and sinister horror hostess Elvira. But, behind her sable black hair and creepy cleavage, Peterson’s real life was equally full of horrors and hilarities. From her fateful date with the King of Rock and Roll to her terrifying, tell-all memoirs, Peterson left her fans with… “unpleasant dreams”.
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2. She Was A Midwestern Girl
Cassandra Peterson would go on to become synonymous with the Halloween season. But she wasn’t born in some dark, mysterious castle. She was born in sunny Manhattan, Kansas on September 17, 1951. However, after the town was submerged under the Turtle Creek Reservoir, Peterson and her family moved to Colorado Springs, where things took a more dramatic turn.
CityMorgue, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
3. She Was Horribly Disfigured
As Elvira, Peterson would introduce the world to monsters of all kinds—but the real horror began when she was just a child. As a toddler, Peterson was scalded by boiling water causing severe burns. It took skin grafts covering more than 35% of her body and three long months in the hospital to heal. Like a true vampire, she hid her imperfections well.
Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
4. She Only Showed Off The “Good Bits”
Peterson’s iconic fitted Elvira dress was equally sinister and sultry. It was also just very smart. After her childhood accident, Peterson was left with scars on her neck and shoulders. The gown’s strategic cut and her long, dark hair helped cover these marks. In classic Elvira style, Peterson joked that her trademark dress revealed nothing but “the good bits”.
5. She Preferred Beasts To Barbies
Hints of Peterson’s later fame as a horror hostess started in her early childhood. While most little girls played with Barbie dolls, Peterson had other interests. Growing up, she gravitated towards “horror-themed toys”. In fact, she was already embracing her dark side long before her Elvira days, and it’s safe to say she never really grew out of it.
Orange County Archives, Flickr
6. She Liked Haunted Houses
Peterson’s obsession with the macabre and mawkish extended far beyond her gruesome toys. In an interview decades later, Peterson recalled the experience of watching her first horror film, House on Haunted Hill. “I was both repelled and fascinated,” she explained, “and I remember coming home and having terrible nightmares”.
Those nightmares soon became a reality.
7. She Dressed Up All The Time
For most kids, Halloween only comes once a year. But, growing up, for Cassandra Peterson, Halloween was every day. Her mother ran a costume business, so whenever the young horror film fan wanted to dress up, she got exactly what she wanted, custom made. She even wore the costumes to school, displaying an early flair for fashion and drama.
And there was lots of drama ahead.
Orange County Archives, Flickr
8. She Was A Go-Go Dancing Queen
Peterson’s entertainment career began in a very genre from horror—but it was still downright scandalous. In her teenage years, she worked as a go-go dancer in Colorado Springs. Not just any dancer though—she performed at a drag queen bar, and even entertained soldiers with her seductive dance moves at Fort Carson.
She thought that she had found her calling.
Orange County Archives, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
9. She Left Home For The Stage
Film always had a big impact on Peterson’s life. So, after watching Ann-Margret’s performance in Viva Las Vegas, she convinced her parents to let her see a live show in Sin City. But, as she was watching the show, the production staff were watching her and offered her a contract to work for them. There was just one problem: she was only 17.
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10. She Got Her Start As A Vegas Showgirl
Cassandra Peterson was so eager to get her showbiz start that she managed to convince her parents to let her sign the contract. Then, right after high school, Peterson raced back to Las Vegas, where she took her place as a showgirl in Frederic Apcar’s groundbreaking revue “Vive Les Girls!” at The Dunes. Once again, she caught the eye of the right people.
Or, in this case, the right King.
CityMorgue, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
11. She Went On A Date With The King
While performing on stage, Peterson caught the attention of a special audience member: Elvis Presley. The King of Rock and Roll was so enthralled with Peterson that he insisted on meeting her and took her out on a date. As a self-admitted “groupie”, Peterson described the experience of dating Presley as a “dream come true”.
But it kind of sounds like it wasn’t all that romantic.
12. Her Dream Date Involved Mostly Kissing
Cassandra Peterson admitted that she “loved music” growing up, but, according to her, there wasn’t much opportunity to hear Presley sing on their date. “There was a lot of making out going on,” Peterson said of her date with the King. While their romantic encounter didn’t lead to a second date, she admitted that they “had a great time”.
The King also left her with some sage advice.
NBC, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
13. She Listened To The King
Presley was only in Peterson’s life for the briefest of moments, but we might have him to thank for her eventual rise to fame. He gave her some unforgettable advice. “You don’t want to stay here,” Presley crooned to her, “this is not a town you should be in”. “He is 100 percent responsible for me getting out of Vegas and going on with my career,” Peterson explained.
She took a few detours first, though.
NBC, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
14. She Became A Rock Star In Italy
Cassandra Peterson took Presley’s advice and bolted out of Las Vegas like a scream queen running from a slasher villain. But she might have run too far. Peterson landed in Italy in the early 1970s and took on an unexpected role as a lead singer for the Italian rock bands I Latins 80 and The Snails. Those were not her only Italian connections though.
NBC, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
15. She Dated Godfathers
Elvis Presley wasn’t the only megastar that Peterson had flirtations with. In her 2021 memoirs, Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark, Peterson claimed to have had liaisons with two more Hollywood heavyweights: Jon Voight and Robert De Niro. She alleged that her fling with De Niro occurred during the filming of The Godfather Part II.
Her own screen debut was just around the corner.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II
16. She Worked With A Film Icon
In one of those “only-in-Hollywood” stories, Cassandra Peterson and a friend were in Rome when they ran into an acquaintance from Las Vegas. That acquaintance happened to be working as a student director for none other than the legendary filmmaker Federico Fellini. The chance encounter landed Peterson 30 seconds of screen time in 1972’s Roma.
It was just a small scene—but it was enough to get her hooked.
17. She Worked At The Playboy Club
After her time in Italy, Cassandra Peterson returned to the US with dreams of making movie magic. But then things took an unexpected turn. First, she became a showgirl at the Playboy Club in Miami. Some successful appearances saw her sign up with Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Modeling Agency and she toured nightclubs around the country with her musical/comedy act Mama’s Boys.
Unfortunately, she made some mistakes along the way.
18. She Had One Big Regret
In her 2021 memoir, Cassandra Peterson confessed to one of her biggest regrets. Against her better judgment she agreed to pose totally sans-clothing for a “test shoot” for Penthouse magazine. The photographers, a husband-and-wife team, promised the up-and-coming showgirl that the decidedly racy photos would never see the light of day.
Promises, however, are meant to be broken.
19. Her Past Came Back To Haunt Her
For years, Cassandra Peterson believed that her bare-all photos were safe with the husband-wife photography duo. But she was terribly wrong. In 1981, just as her fame was taking off, the pictures reappeared, splashed across the pages of sleazy men’s magazines. To her dismay, there wasn’t much she could do about it. Except embrace it.
NBC, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
20. She Was A Bond Girl—Sort Of
Peterson’s film career got off to a slow—but very promising—start. She played a showgirl in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. Then, a few years later, she took on a slightly racier role as a shirtless dancer in the film The Working Girls where she played a character named Katya. It was her first credited role—and her last ever unclothed one.
Kind of.
EON Productions, Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
21. She Was Unrecognizable
Cassandra Peterson appeared in the raunchy comedy Jekyll and Hyde…Together Again in 1982. Her role wasn’t exactly a big one, but it was memorable. During one of the scenes, the right side of her chest became exposed, earning her character the name “Busty Nurse”. Fortunately, a surgical mask covered most of Peterson’s face, rendering her unrecognizable.
She eventually found her place.
Paramount, Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again (1982)
22. She Lost A Role But Found A Family
By 1979, Cassandra Peterson’s small film roles began paying off. She auditioned for the role of Ginger Grant in a Gilligan’s Island TV movie and was ready to make a big debut. However, just days before filming, she got a heartbreaking surprise. Production dropped her from the role.
Luckily, she had support from a family of improv actors called The Groundlings. That’s how she developed the character that would make her famous.
United Artists Television, Gilligan's Island (1964-1992)
23. She Was In For Friday Night Frights
In 1981, the Los Angeles horror show Fright Night was looking for a new host, six years after the passing of its previous star, Larry Vincent. For Peterson, the tragedy spelled opportunity. The producers wanted to bring the horror show back in a fresh, new way and began their search for a horror hostess.
Peterson’s improv-inspired Valley girl was just the right fit.
NBC, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
24. She Was Better Than Vampira
Originally, the Fright Night producers wanted to revive a classic: The Vampira Show with its iconic host, Maila Nurmi. Nurmi briefly joined the project but quit when they refused to cast her chosen successor, Lola Falana. With Nurmi out, the producers sent out a casting call for a new horror host. Like a vampire in the shadows, Peterson was waiting in the wings.
NBC, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
25. She Designed Elvira’s Look From Scratch
Not only did Peterson land the role of hostess for the Fright Night revival, but the producers loved her so much that they gave her free reign. Together with her best friend, Robert Redding, she created an unforgettable character that was equal parts flirtatious and frightening named Elvira.
She drew inspiration from Kabuki and the voluminous hairstyles of the 60s girl group The Ronettes. But not everyone thought that it was an original idea.
NBC, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
26. She Was Supposed To Cease And Desist
Right before the show’s first taping and Peterson’s big break, Maila Nurmi sent a cease and desist order to the production team. And the blame fell on one person: Elvira. Nurmi claimed that Peterson’s new persona, with her sumptuously sable locks and busty black dress was too similar to her Vampira character. And there was another problem.
NBC, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
27. She Might Have Borrowed A Line Or Two
It wasn’t just Elvira’s gothic look that had Nurmi screaming, “Copyright infringement!” from the top of her lungs. Peterson’s iconic sign-off to her fright fans, “Unpleasant dreams,” sounded eerily similar to Vampira’s closing line, “Bad dreams, darlings”. Peterson, however, maintained that her camp-vamp character was entirely her creation.
Her shot at true fame hung in the balance.
NBC, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
28. She Was An Original
Despite the similarities between Peterson’s Elvira and Nurmi’s Vampira, the courts eventually sided with Peterson. They ruled that “likeness” pertains to “actual representation of another person’s appearance” and “not simply a close resemblance”.
Peterson insisted that beyond the basic black dress and dark hair, her Elvira persona was entirely her own creation. And her audiences agreed.
Unknown Artist, Wikimedia Commons
29. She Became A Cult Figure
Once she was free to step into Elvira’s stilettos, Peterson’s gothic horror hostess rapidly gained attention. Her tight, cleavage-baring, black gown, combined with a Valley girl accent and sharp wit, set her apart from previous horror hostesses. Elvira wasn’t just spooky—she was sarcastic, sassy, and totally unforgettable.
MediaPro Pictures, Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001)
30. She Loved A Good Double Entendre
Elvira’s humor was just as striking as her looks. During her broadcasts, Peterson made a habit of dropping risqué double entendres, often with a wink and a nudge to her cleavage. She once said, “I figured out that Elvira is me when I was a teenager. She’s a spastic girl. I just say what I feel, and people seem to enjoy it”.
They clearly enjoyed it a little too much.
MediaPro Pictures, Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001)
31. She Haunted Everything, Everywhere
Thanks to her quick wit, campy humor, and undeniable appeal, Peterson’s Elvira quickly became a late-night movie sensation. Her cult following exploded, and soon, she wasn’t just a TV hostess. She was a brand. Her name and likeness became attached to a dizzying array of products, from Halloween costumes to comic books, dolls, perfume, and even pinball machines.
Her personal life was also heating up.
MediaPro Pictures, Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001)
32. She Married Her Manager
1981 turned out to be Peterson’s biggest year. Not only did she debut Elvira to the world but she tied the knot with musician Mark Pierson, who quickly took on the role of her personal manager. On October 12, 1994, they gave birth to their only daughter, Sadie. But Peterson still had more than enough time for the goth-camp classic, Elvira.
33. Her Car Was A Monster
Peterson’s fame reached its peak with the 1988 film, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. In the film, she added another key component to her iconic character: the Macabre Mobile. The production team purchased the 1958 T-Bird hardtop for just $2,500 but then splashed another $7,000 on the car in modifications. However, being the heroine of horror wasn’t all it was chalked up to be.
John Lloyd CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
34. Her Had A Ghost
Elvira’s Macabre Mobile sparkled on the film set and Peterson even took it out on personal appearances. But it wasn’t as glamorous as it looked. Peterson had a love-hate relationship with the villainous vehicle, often complaining that it rarely worked. Fortunately, the Macabre Mobile never left her stranded in a graveyard at night.
And she certainly got her money’s worth out of it.
35. She Kept Creepy Things
Peterson kept much of the paraphernalia from her Elvira films and TV shows. But, by December 2021, she was ready to part ways with many of her creepy keepsakes. At Julien's Auction, she sold off the Macabre Mobile as well as some Elvira’s wigs, costumes, robes, portraits, and much more, totalling tens of thousands of dollars.
36. She Rejected Brad Pitt
Peterson was one of the first to spot Brad Pitt’s starpower. In 1988, the unknown teen idol auditioned for Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. Peterson loved his look—a little too much. She thought he was too cute, noting that Elvira wouldn’t realistically go for the lead character if Pitt was one of the boys vying for her attention.
She made sure to make note of him for the future.
April Productions, Cutting Class (1989)
37. She Thought Pitt Was Yummy
Peterson ultimately decided to pass on Pitt. But it wasn’t because she didn’t believe he had starpower. Quite the opposite. In her casting notes, she simply wrote “Yum Yum!” probably understanding that, in the years to come, Pitt would have fans of his own. Funny enough, their paths crossed again when Pitt bought her gothic-styled mansion.
That wasn’t the only time that Peterson passed on a future superstar.
Panacea Entertainment, Elvira's Movie Macabre (1981-1993)
38. She Swiped On Swank
During casting for The Elvira Show in 1993, Peterson once again let a future star shoot right past her. This time, the choice for actresses to portray Elvira’s niece came down to Phoebe Augustine or an unknown young actress named Hilary Swank. Peterson ultimately awarded the role to Augustine, but years later she would cross paths with Swank again.
Dick Thomas Johnson, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
39. She Underestimated Swank
Years passed but Peterson never forgot about Hilary Swank’s audition. Then a chance encounter led to a funny incident. Peterson ran into Swank at a gym and, clueless of Swank’s subsequent rise to fame, said, “You were so talented. I hope you’re still in show business!” Swank, trying to remain modest, replied, “Well, I just won an Academy Award”.
Ironically, Peterson might have missed out on her own Oscar-worthy role.
40. She Practically Created Sabrina
Cassandra Peterson filmed a pilot episode of The Elvira Show, but no studio picked it up. A few years later, however, a suspiciously similar show emerged—Sabrina the Teenage Witch! Peterson claimed that the network executives loved her idea but preferred to focus on a younger character. So, they ditched Elvira and revamped the show with a teenage lead, leaving Peterson out of her own creation.
From then on, she would decide her own fate.
Hartbreak Films, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996-2003)
41. She Took Charge Of Elvira’s Future
After years of trying to make a sequel to Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Peterson and her then-husband Mark Pierson decided to take matters into their own hands. In November 2000, she wrote and co-produced Elvira’s Haunted Hills. However, her outing as a producer came with an alarming number of hilarious and horrifying mishaps.
MediaPro Pictures, Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001)
42. She Went To Transylvania
Elvira’s Haunted Hills took Peterson to one of the most haunted places on earth: Transylvania. With a tight budget, Peterson’s Romanian brother-in-law convinced her to shoot the film in Romania. Not only did it save money, but it also added an extra layer of authenticity to the spooky atmosphere. There was, however, some problems that arose.
MediaPro Pictures, Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001)
43. She Couldn’t Get A Black Cat
No horror hostess could be complete without one essential: a black cat. When the eerie entertainer requested a stuffed black cat for a gag in which she accidentally backs over a cat’s tail, the language barrier posed a huge problem. The Romanian crew ended up bringing her a stuffed kangaroo instead. Peterson pulled off a little magic and resolved to dye the kangaroo black.
In real life, she would never do anything that cruel to an animal, stuffed or otherwise.
Hartbreak Films, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996-2003)
44. She’s Almost Always Vegetarian
Even if she pretended to accidentally run over black cats on film, Peterson could never harm a hair on an animal’s head. Not even for sustenance. For many years, Peterson was a strict vegetarian, and revealed in her memoirs that she still maintains a “mostly vegetarian” lifestyle. In fact, for a scream queen, she was surprisingly charitable.
MediaPro Pictures, Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001)
45. She Premiered Elvira’s Haunted Hills For Charity
Cassandra Peterson screened her self-produced film Elvira’s Haunted Hills at AIDS charity fundraisers across the US. It was a resounding success, introducing countless Elvira fans to the woman beneath the sky-high black wig. Eventually, the film officially premiered in Hollywood on July 5, 2002, where Elvira herself made an entrance in her Macabre Mobile.
The following year, the film even made it to the Cannes Film Festival! Sadly, her career wasn’t always an easy ride.
NBC, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
46. She Tried To Bring Elvira Back From The Grave
After her first Elvira film, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark in 1988, the character’s popularity jumped—only to wane soon afterward. In 1993, she attempted to expand the Elvira universe with a sitcom pilot called The Elvira Show. The series was supposed to be a continuation of her 1988 film, but the network didn’t pick it up, and the show never saw the light of day.
But she still had a story to tell.
MediaPro Pictures, Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001)
47. She Finally Told All In A Memoir
On September 21, 2021, Peterson released her long-awaited memoir, Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark. The tell-all gave fans an intimate look at her life, from her childhood to her rise as the horror icon Elvira, complete with juicy details about her relationships, career, and personal struggles.
Much like Elvira herself, Peterson’s memoir was full of horror and humor.
MediaPro Pictures, Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001)
48. She Revealed Where Her Heart Truly Lay
One of the biggest surprises in Peterson’s memoir was the revelation of her nearly two-decade relationship. Following Peterson’s divorce from her husband in 2002, Peterson began dating a woman named Teresa “T” Wierson. The news shocked many, as she had kept the relationship under wraps for years. But there were many more devastating revelations.
MediaPro Pictures, Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001)
49. She Had A Me Too Moment
In her memoir, Peterson also recounted a disturbing incident from the 1970s involving basketball star Wilt Chamberlain. She alleged that Chamberlain had forced himself on her during a party at his Bel Air mansion. It was a difficult revelation for Peterson to make, particularly as a symbol of female sensuality and power.
Regardless of the challenges, however, Peterson proved you can never count Elvira out.
Capital Arts Entertainment, The Munsters (2022)
50. She Has Big Plans For Elvira’s Return
Peterson wasn’t finished terrifying and titillating audiences with Elvira. As of September 2018, Peterson was working on developing a direct sequel to her 1988 film Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. In addition to the sequel, she’s also been cooking up plans for an animated Elvira project. And it’s clear how she sees her legacy going forward.
“How do I want to be remembered?” she said. “I’d ideally love for Elvira to remain a Halloween icon. But as Cassandra, I'd like to be remembered as someone who had time to be a good mother”.
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