She eventually settled in Hollywood, where she spent four years with L.A.’s foremost improvisational comedy group, The Groundlings. Upon returning to the states, Peterson toured America as star of her own musical-comedy show, Mama’s Boys. After receiving advice from the “King” himself, Elvis Presley, she traveled to Europe where she pursued a career as a singer and actor. At age seventeen she became the youngest showgirl in Las Vegas history. Peterson has spent four decades solidifying the Elvira brand and building it into an international cult icon that has become synonymous with Halloween and the horror genre.Ĭassandra Peterson was born in Manhattan, Kansas.

In addition to her nationally syndicated television show, Movie Macabre, Peterson co-wrote, produced, and starred in two feature length films: Elvira, Mistress of the Dark and Elvira’s Haunted Hills.

Her show, Movie Macabre, and her newly created character, Elvira, became an overnight sensation. In 1981 she auditioned for the part of “horror hostess” on a local Los Angeles Television station. Get your Cassandra Peterson autographed book today! Product DetailsĬassandra Peterson was born in Manhattan, Kansas. It is the candid, often funny, and sometimes heart-breaking tale of a Midwest farm girl's long strange trip to become the world's sexiest, sassiest Halloween icon. Always original and sometimes outrageous, her story is loaded with twists, travails, revelry, and downright shocking experiences. Cassandra doesn't shy away from revealing exactly who she is and how she overcame seemingly insurmountable odds. Cassandra improvised, made the role her own, and got the job on the spot. Yours Cruelly, Elvira is an unforgettably wild memoir. Nearing age 30, a struggling actress considered past her prime, she auditioned at local LA channel KHJ as hostess for the late night vintage horror movies. She eventually made her way to Los Angeles, where she joined the famed comedy improv troupe, The Groundlings, and worked alongside Phil Hartman and Paul 'Pee-wee' Reubens, honing her comedic skills. Then a chance encounter with her idol Elvis Presley, changed the course of her life forever, and led her to Europe where she worked in film and traveled Italy as lead singer of an Italian pop band.

Run-ins with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Tom Jones helped her grow up fast. Due to a complicated relationship with her mother, Cassandra left home at 14, and by age 17 she was performing at the famed Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas.

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