What Elvira looked like when she was not yet the Mistress of Darkness

An infernal brunette with a piercing gaze and a breathtaking cleavage first appeared on the movie screen in 1988. The film "Elvira — the Lady of Darkness" became a bestseller in her homeland, in the USA. But even more incredible success awaited him in the 90s. Actress Cassandra Peterson, who played a TV presenter and part-time witch, remained for us in a single image, and we can't imagine her any other. But she starred in other films, and in everyday life she looked not so gothic at all.

Cassandra Peterson was born in 1951 in Manhattan. No, not the one with skyscrapers, but in its namesake — a tiny provincial town in Kansas. Shortly after her birth, the family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. Cassandra graduated from high school there in 1969. A young blonde, namely such a "native" hair color of the actress, did not want to continue her studies. Immediately after graduation, the girl said goodbye to her family and went to conquer Las Vegas.

In Sin City, a curvaceous young lady was immediately noticed and accepted into the showgirl group at The Dunes casino. Peterson was only 17, and she got into the Guinness Book of Records as the youngest corps de ballet artist in the history of Las Vegas. As part of a dance group, she first flashed in a movie. It was a James Bond movie, Diamonds Are Forever, from 1971.

Cassandra likes to say that Elvis Presley played a big role in her career. She says that she once met the king of rock and roll in a casino and they had a long conversation. Presley advised the young dancer to quit dancing at the casino and go to Europe. That's what Peterson did — she moved to Italy.

The girl settled in Rome and began to make a living singing in various local groups. In parallel, she went to auditions, trying to get a role in a movie. And she succeeded! Peterson noticed the great Fellini and began acting in his films, however, in episodic roles. It seemed that everything worked out, but after a couple of years the rose-colored glasses fell off. Cassandra realized that she was destined to play second and third roles all her life.

Peterson got tired of sitting without money and moving around in rented apartments, and she returned to the USA. There was no normal work at home either, and the girl even had to shoot for erotic magazines. Later, she was accepted into a variety comedy group, and Cassandra successfully toured with him in the USA and Canada.

In the late 1970s, Peterson was offered to host a radio program about horror films, and she agreed. In 1981, Cassandra became the host of the show "Fright Night", dedicated to low-budget horror. It was then that the familiar image of Elvira appeared. It was the result of the joint work of the TV presenter and makeup artist Robert Allen Redding.

Everything was thought out to the smallest detail, even a soft voice and a specific humor. The friendly, almost friendly communication of the demonic presenter with the viewers became a special feature of Elvira. In a new role, Cassandra Petersson finally gained popularity.

She was loved not only by Americans. Demonic beauty won the love of residents of other countries where the show was shown. Her personal life also improved — in the mid-80s she married film producer Mark Pearson. It was he who decided to shoot her in the fantastic horror comedy "Elvira — the Lady of Darkness".

The film was released in 1988, and in USA it was well received by the audience. Nevertheless, critics spoke about the picture very controversially. She has received several first prizes at various film festivals, as well as the Golden Raspberry. Interestingly, but in "Elvira: The Lady of Darkness" almost starred a very young Brad Pitt. He was supposed to play one of Elvira's young fans, but Peterson rejected him. In her opinion, he was too handsome for this role.

After the success of the painting, Peterson exploited the image of Elvira for many years (which, in principle, she is doing now). The actress in this role starred in various shows and programs, led concerts and even presented awards. In 2001, the sequel to the film "Elvira — The Lady of Darkness 2" was filmed.

After that, Peterson appears in his usual form in the TV series "Medium" (2009), "The Last Real Man" (2011), "Goldbergs" (2021). The actress also takes part in the voice acting of her heroine in three animated films from the Scooby-Doo series. Now Cassandra Peterson, who has already turned 70, looks great and is full of creative plans.  She is a welcome guest of all kinds of shows and, as before, she is adored by an army of fans.