Also known as: Elvira - Mistress Of The Dark

Cassandra Peterson (born September 17, 1951) is an American television personality best known for her on-screen horror host persona "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark". She gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ wearing a black, gothic, cleavage-enhancing gown as host of Movie Macabre, a weekly horror movie presentation. Her wicked vampish appearance was offset by her comical character, quick witted personality and Valley girl-type speech. Although the character of Elvira wears a large black wig, Peterson is a natural redhead. As of July 2025, Cassandra has amassed 1.6 million followers on Instagram, 339,700 followers on TikTok and 45,000 subscribers on her YouTube platform.