Guide Note
Cassandra Peterson is an American actress and television personality who created and inhabited the persona of Elvira Mistress of the Dark.
Fast Facts
- Born: September 17, 1951
- Birthplace: Manhattan, Kansas
- Children: Sadie Peterson
- Debut TV show: Fright Night (1970)
Career
Cassandra Peterson started her career in show business as the youngest show girl in Las Vegas history, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.1 Her visibility led to small roles as show girls and strippers in the movies Diamonds are Forever and Working Girls. An encounter with Italian director Fredrico Fellini resulted in Peterson appearing in the Fellini film Roma. The roots of Peterson's campy "Elvira" character stem from her involvement with improvisational comedy groups like Mammas Boys and The Groundlings in the late 1970s. "Elvira" made Peterson famous as the host of a syndicated B-Movie horror series Movie Macabre throughout the 1980s.
Notable Works
Quotes
"...There's nothing wrong with G-rated movies, as long as there's lots of sex and violence."—Cassandra Peterson as "Elvira"2
"I was your typical struggling actress. I went to every audition, took a million acting, dancing and singing lessons, and spent years wondering where my next meal was coming from."—Cassandra Peterson3
Categories
