Cassandra Gay Peterson is an American actress best known for her portrayal of the horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Peterson gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ-TV in her stage persona as Elvira, hosting Elvira's Movie Macabre, a weekly B movie presentation. A member of the Los Angeles-based improvisational and sketch comedy troupe The Groundlings, Peterson based her Elvira persona in part on a "valley girl"-type character she created while a member of the troupe.

The popularity of Elvira’s Movie Macabre led to the 1988 film Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, and later the 2001 film Elvira’s Haunted Hills, both starring Peterson as Elvira. The television show was revived in 2010, featuring Elvira hosting public domain films, and airing on This TV until 2011. Elvira returned as a horror hostess in 2014 with 13 Nights of Elvira, a 13-episode series produced by Hulu, and again in 2021 for a one-night 40th Anniversary Special that aired on Shudder.

Peterson has made cameo appearances as Elvira in a number of films and television programs, including appearing as a guest commentator during WrestleMania 2 and as a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, and Halloween Wars.

Elvira recorded several songs and skits for her Halloween albums in the 1980s and 1990s:

• Elvira and the Vi-Tones: 3-D TV & Elvira's Theme (Rhino Records, 1982)
• Elvira Presents Vinyl Macabre: Oldies but Ghoulies - Volume 1 (Rhino Records, 1983)
• Elvira Presents Haunted Hits (Rhino Records, 1987)
• Elvira Presents Monster Hits (Rhino Records, 1994)
• Elvira Presents Revenge of the Monster Hits (Rhino Records, 1995)
• Elvira's Gravest Hits (Shout! Factory, 2010)

She also performed on a track called “Zombie Killer” for the band Leslie and the LY's, released in February 2008. The music video for the track features Leslie and the LY's performing to a sold-out audience of zombies in a fictional venue called “Elvira Stadium”. A 7” single was released.
In 2018, she collaborated with singer Kim Petras on the title track of Petras’ mixtape “Turn Off The Light”.

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