Cassandra Peterson
Biography
Cassandra Peterson is an American actress who created and has long portrayed the horror hostess Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Born in Manhattan, Kansas, she trained in ballet and performed as a showgirl in Las Vegas before moving to Italy, where she sang in rock bands and appeared in Federico Fellini's Roma (1972). After joining the Los Angeles improv troupe the Groundlings, she won a horror host role on KHJ-TV and developed Elvira for Elvira's Movie Macabre. The character's popularity led to films including Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) and Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001), both of which she co-wrote. She also appeared in Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Echo Park (1985), Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986), and The Munsters (2022). Her recognition includes Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, a Saturn Award nomination, and a Golden Raspberry nomination for Elvira: Mistress of the Dark.
75years old
Turns 76 on September 17in 323 days
- Born Manhattan
- Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
- Also credited as Elvira
Movie Career
- Films
- 14
- Career span
- 50 years1972 to 2022
Genres
First and latest
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Big break
Peterson created the Valley girl-type character that became Elvira while performing with the Los Angeles improv troupe the Groundlings, which she joined in 1979.
A role that slipped away
Peterson was a finalist for the role of Ginger Grant in a 1981 Gilligan's Island television movie but was dropped before filming, and KHJ-TV offered her the horror host job soon after.
A change of course
Peterson moved to Italy in the early 1970s and sang lead for the Italian rock bands Latins 80 and The Snails before landing a small part in Fellini's Roma in 1972.
Behind the camera
Peterson worked with John Paragon and Sam Egan on the script for the 1988 film Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, which came out when Elvira's popularity was at its peak.
Beyond film
In 1984, Peterson was the host of a six-hour Halloween special on MTV that featured skits and music videos. She came back in 1986 to host a four-hour Halloween special.
Cassandra Peterson movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Five actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Frank Welker's page
Grey Griffin's page
Matthew Lillard's page
Kate Micucci's page
John Paragon's page
Cheech Marin's page
Also two films together1 more actor
- David HermanHappy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! (2020) and Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island (2019)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
Two awards and honors from 2021 to 2023.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 2023 | Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement | Won | |
| 2021 | Out100 | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.