Cassandra Peterson (born September 17, 1949) is better known for her on-screen persona "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark". She gained fame wearing dark, gothic, cleavage-enhancing clothing as host of Elvira's Movie Macabre, a weekly horror movie presentation. Her presumably sinister appearance is offset by her comical character, quick witted personality and most of all talking not like a stereotypical vampire, but like a Valley girl.

Born in Manhattan, Kansas, Peterson grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She became a showgirl at The Dunes in Las Vegas, Nevada at age 17. In Italy, she was the lead singer in a rock band and a chance encounter with Federico Fellini led to a small part in Roma (1972). Back in the U.S., she joined the Los Angeles-based improvisational troupe The Groundlings.