Re-Air: Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson: Happy, Healthy, Dead

Summary

Podcast Summary: Mayim Bialik's Breakdown

Episode: Re-Air: Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson – Happy, Healthy, Dead
Date: October 31, 2025
Host: Mayim Bialik
Guest: Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)

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Overview

In this special Halloween re-airing, Mayim Bialik re-visits her in-depth conversation with Cassandra Peterson, the iconic actress and creator behind Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. The episode delves into Cassandra’s personal journey from her Kansas farm upbringing to showgirl, comedian, cult legend, and LGBTQ+ icon. The candid discussion explores themes of self-empowerment, ownership of creative identity, sexuality, aging, motherhood, and the ongoing struggle with society’s standards for women. It also features light-hearted moments about haunted houses, Halloween obsessions, and the duality of Cassandra’s public/private life.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Early Life

• Small-town Roots:

  • Cassandra grew up in Manhattan, Kansas, on a farm (“the Little Apple”), where her parents grew milo (a cow feed) ([05:48]).
  • She always dreamed of more, first yearning for the stage after performing as a child in a restaurant:

    “I think that’s the moment it hit me.” — Cassandra ([06:21])

• Self-Image:

  • Contrary to her later iconic appearance, Cassandra describes herself as a “total nerd and a geek” as a child, with frizzy hair and cat-eye glasses ([07:31]):

    “I was not a good looking child… No one used to say, oh, what a pretty little girl. No.” — Cassandra ([07:31])

2. Early Career & Vegas Showgirl Fame

• Became the youngest Vegas showgirl at age 17 ([08:16]).
• Inspired by Ann-Margret in “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Viva Las Vegas”:

  “I saw her … and I go, that’s what I want to be… it changed everything for me.” — Cassandra ([08:31])

• Her parents were initially reluctant, only becoming supportive as she began succeeding ([09:19]).
• Describes Las Vegas in the late ‘60s as glamorous and sophisticated, mourning how much it’s changed ([10:10]).

3. Transition to Acting and Comedy

• Cassandra’s path to LA included performing in bands before realizing she needed to pivot careers ([11:56]).
• Joined the prestigious Groundlings comedy troupe in late ‘70s with the likes of Phil Hartman and Paul Reubens ([12:56]):

  “The Groundlings was the best thing I ever did for my career. It taught me to think on my feet.” — Cassandra ([13:16])

• Her characters at the Groundlings were often “sexy girl, the girlfriend, the showgirl, the stripper” ([14:22]).

4. Birth of Elvira

• Developed Elvira partially from a ditzy Valley Girl character she performed—landed the horror host role almost by accident, out of place at her own audition ([16:07]).
• Visual and attitude for Elvira was co-created with artist Robert Redding ([23:12]):

  “We brought in a picture … an updated 80s punk… vampire look… I told my friend Robert, they’re never going to go for this.”

• The TV station was only concerned with ratings, resulting in the iconic sexy, gothic look ([23:12]).

5. Personality and Authenticity

• Elvira’s sassy, confident personality is based on Cassandra’s own rebellious teenage years ([25:32]):

  “Elvira is my personality when I was a teenager… I was such a parents’ worst nightmare.” — Cassandra ([25:32])

• She likens Elvira to a drag queen and credits countless gay friends for creative inspiration. Importantly, she owns the character outright ([27:19]):

  “I totally categorize Elvira as a drag queen. There’s nothing different about me and any drag queen I know, except I don’t tuck.”
  “I own my character, so I get to do it the way I want.” — Cassandra ([25:32], [27:19])

• How She Gained Ownership:

  • Gradually negotiated rights from the TV station, starting with the fan club and then for appearances, leading to full ownership ([27:27]).
  • Pay remained paltry for years:

    “I was getting $350. They bumped me up finally all the way to $500 a week before taxes.” — Cassandra ([27:37])

6. Dual Identity and Fame

• Maintained privacy for decades as Cassandra Peterson while being Elvira on screen ([30:46]):

  “I was the luckiest celebrity alive. I was completely anonymous… I could be famous when I wanted to and party and do all the fun things, and I could be a private, normal person when I wanted to.” — Cassandra ([30:46])

7. Motherhood and Aging

• Became a mother at 43 after years of miscarriages—daughter had a “pretty regular upbringing” despite Elvira’s fame ([32:08], [32:55]).
• Daughter did not particularly embrace Elvira and avoided dressing as the character ([34:33]).

8. Sexuality, Relationships, and Coming Out

• Married to a man (her manager) for 25 years, then entered a long-term relationship with a woman, T, met as a trainer, after divorce ([37:51]):

  “I never thought of myself as possibly gay… I met her… I just looked at her as a friend and my trainer… Next thing I know, I’m in a relationship with a woman. I don’t know how that happened.” — Cassandra ([37:51])

• The relationship emerged years after their meeting, and Cassandra describes her partner as “very private” and 10 years younger ([40:13]).

9. Empowerment, Sexuality & Society’s Double Standards

• Discusses the complexity of owning sexuality as a woman, societal expectations, and persistent double standards ([42:31]):

  “If you give in… there’s no end, then it’ll be just women don’t exist. Go away, disappear, don’t exist as a human being, maybe as an object.” — Cassandra ([44:33])

• Elvira’s drag-like qualities provided Cassandra a feeling of “license” and confidence she didn’t always feel in her private life ([44:57]).

10. Connection with Outsiders & Cultural Legacy

• Many fans have told Cassandra that Elvira gave them confidence as outsiders, particularly those who felt “different” (LGBTQ, bullied, etc.) ([58:28]):

  “Elvira was a major influence… to stand up to bullies, to feel like being an outsider, a geek, is okay… If I changed one or two people’s life, and I think possibly a lot more for the better, then my job here is done.” — Cassandra ([58:28])

11. Halloween, Spooky Obsessions & Haunted Houses

• Lifelong love of Halloween, stemming in part from her mother’s costume shop ([48:49]).
• Lived in a “genuinely haunted” house in LA, later sold to Brad Pitt, with persistent supernatural occurrences resolved only after exorcism and spiritual cleansing ([50:51]).
• Describes her spirituality as “very strong”—believes in higher power, “science of mind,” and personal spiritual sensitivity ([52:37]).

12. Looking Ahead & Slowing Down

• Cassandra reflects on aging, possibly stepping back from Elvira while keeping the brand alive ([54:50]):

  “I work, work, work, work, work. I go all the time… I’d like a break, damn it. I’d like to just go have some fun and do some things. But that doesn’t mean Elvira is going away.” — Cassandra ([54:50])

• Plans a return trip to Romania (the filming location for Elvira’s Haunted Hills) ([57:00]).

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On not fitting in as a child:

  "I was just a total nerd and a geek. No, no, I was not a good looking kid. It's not somebody who's, no one used to say, oh, what a pretty little girl. No." — Cassandra ([07:31])

• On Elvira’s personality:

  "One day it dawned on me that Elvira is my personality. When I was a teenager… I was just going to be super hot and sexy and ballsy." — Cassandra ([25:32])

• On dual identities:

  "I was completely anonymous… I could be famous when I wanted to … and I could be a private, normal person when I wanted to, which was amazing." — Cassandra ([30:46])

• On the impact of Elvira:

  “Elvira was a major influence … to stand up to bullies, to feel like being an outsider, a geek is okay. … If I changed one or two people's life, and I think possibly a lot more for the better, then my job here is done.” ([58:28])

• On the enduring battle with societal standards:

  “…If you just keep going with how, whoever they are, the, I don't know, it's the Christian right, the moral majority, whoever they are, there's no end, then it'll be just women don't exist, go away, disappear, don't exist as a human being, maybe as an object.” — Cassandra ([44:33])

• On personal growth and legacy:

  “I don't know what I'd do if I didn't work. I think I'm too closely tied to me is my work, you know, that kind of thing. But I would like to just step back a little bit and have some free time for once.” — Cassandra ([54:50])

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Early family life and self-image: [05:48]–[08:04]
• Vegas showgirl years: [08:16]–[11:41]
• Groundlings and beginning acting: [11:56]–[14:22]
• Creation of Elvira: [14:22]–[16:34], [23:12]–[27:19]
• Owning the character: [27:19]–[29:07]
• Public/private dual identity: [30:46]–[31:52]
• Motherhood and family: [32:08]–[35:27]
• Coming out, sexuality, relationships: [37:51]–[41:30]
• Women's empowerment, societal struggle: [42:31]–[44:33]
• Haunted house stories: [48:49]–[52:25]
• Spirituality and “science of mind”: [52:37]–[54:07]
• Slowing down and legacy: [54:50]–[58:03]
• What Elvira means to people: [58:28]

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Tone and Style

The episode is both playful and sincere, fusing Mayim’s warm, neuroscience-informed curiosity with Cassandra’s irreverent humor and candor. They discuss serious themes—empowerment, trauma, societal pressures—with the frankness and wit reflective of both women’s personalities and experience.

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Final Reflections

Mayim celebrates Cassandra as “ahead of her time in terms of owning so much of herself” ([65:15]), and Cassandra’s words reinforce the power of authenticity and self-acceptance. The episode underscores Elvira's legacy as an enduring symbol for outsiders, feminists, and anyone struggling to find confidence in a difficult world.

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Recommended for listeners seeking:

• Behind-the-scenes stories of pop culture icons
• Honest reflections about self-image, sexuality, and feminism
• A celebration of Halloween, camp, and the power of reinvention

Transcript

[Mayim Bialik]

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[Jonathan]

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[Mayim Bialik]

Hi, I'm Iam Bialik.

[Jonathan]

And I'm Jonathan.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

And welcome to our breakdown.

[Mayim Bialik]

That's my spooky Halloween sound.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Today's Halloween, we're revisiting our episode from 2022 with the mistress of Dark herself. You may know her as Elvira, but her name is actually Cassandra Peterson.

[Jonathan]

Cassandra discusses her love for Halloween and the macabre and her time living in a haunted house, which was so cool and and that she witnessed an actual murder.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

We were really fascinated to hear about her. Small town Beginnings. Because I'm always curious with people like.

[Mayim Bialik]

Elvira, how did she get from wherever she came from to there?

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

She grew up on a farm. She was the youngest showgirl in Vegas history. There's also some incredible stories from those days. She's also going to talk about Elvira's impact on modern culture, the confidence that the character gave her and still gives her. She's also going to talk about her Groundlings comedy days, which I had no idea about with Paul Rubens, also known as Peewee Herman, and also her long term relationship with a woman after being married to a man for 25 years. She also talks about empowerment, sexual empowerment, owning your own body, your own sexuality, society's impossible standards for women, and the science of mind.

[Mayim Bialik]

We really covered everything with her.

[Jonathan]

Just a reminder before we get to this episode, if you haven't already, check us out on Substack. May be Alex Breakdown on Substack. Join the growing Breaker community exploring the intersection of science and spirituality. And get exclusive content that you cannot get anywhere else.

[Mayim Bialik]

And now we hope you enjoyed taking.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

A look back at our episode with Cassandra Peterson and Happy All Hallows Eve.

[Mayim Bialik]

Break it down. I was born in 1975, so I literally remember being a young child and seeing this incredible presence that became really such an iconic part of not really just like the horror universe, but really our. Our kind of general culture. And, you know, I grew up with like Angeline and Elvira. Those were the two women that I thought I'm supposed to be like. And I think I'm more of an Elvira than an Angeline, as it turns out.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

I hope so.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Your.

[Mayim Bialik]

Your career, as obviously as Elvira is what so many people know you for and love you for. But you also, you know, created such an iconic character that really is timeless, you know, for so many of us and darker culture and goth culture and all these things that came after. You know, Elvira feels to me so interconnected with what you created in learning a bit more about you. And obviously we're talking about your book, yours cruelly, Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark. And there are other two covers. Is that what it is with the. The one that's now available?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Yeah, there are actually three.

[Mayim Bialik]

Okay.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

One. One that my fans voted on that they like the best. And so we made that for independent bookstores exclusively and you can grab that at any local bookstore. And then we made one that is the same as the COVID for the book that came out, the hardcover. And then we made a little special one that is going to be sold Just basically through my website that haven't seen yet. That's kind of a surprise one.

[Mayim Bialik]

Okay, that's very, very exciting. And growing up again with you as you know, this, this presence, you know, in my home for so many things, not just related to Halloween, but really throughout the year. You know, I'll be honest, I never wanted to know anything else about you except that you were Elvira and to. To now get to learn so many incredible things. You are from a place called Manhattan, Kansas.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Yes, the Little Apple.

[Mayim Bialik]

And you grew up. Did you grow up on a proper farm? Like, just like Dorothy on a farm?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

My parents grew something called Milo, which nobody seems to know what that is. I don't even know it's some kind of cow feed. But yeah, I grew up on a farm that used to be my grandparents. And then they kind of handed it over to my mom and dad and it didn't really work out that great.

[Mayim Bialik]

Were you the kind of kid who always knew you were meant for bigger things and you wanted to get out of that small town and go to the big city?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

That pretty much was me from the time my parents stuck me on a table at a Greek restaurant, dancing and singing how much is that doggy in a Window? And people threw coins at me. And I go, okay, I really like this. I think that's the moment it hit me.

[Mayim Bialik]

You're a very also special icon for those of us who may have grown up in an era where we didn't talk about feminism or empowerment. But I always knew even as a child that there was so. You were so in. In your body and in yourself and you owned, you know, what, what especially to. To young kids was sexy, but also there was something very powerful about you and the way you handled yourself. And I think for a lot of, a lot of boys and girls, we may have never seen that, you know, in this generation of a woman owning that the way you did, really before its time. You were very attractive. And I'm wondering if when you were little, was that something people commented about? Was that part of the attention you got? Like, were you like that gorgeous girl in Kansas that everyone was like, who is that lady?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

No, no, no, no, no. I think if you look at my book and see some of the photos in it, you'll see that I was not a good looking child. I mean, I had a Tony Perms which my mom gave me all the time. So I had this frizzy short hair. Then I wore little cat eye shape because I was. Couldn't see two feet in Front of me, I was just a total nerd and a geek. No, no, I was not a, not a good looking kid. It's not somebody who's, no one used to say, oh, what a pretty little girl. No.

[Mayim Bialik]

Huh. So when did you kind of come into, I mean, you, you became a go go dancer and then eventually, I believe, the youngest Vegas showgirl. I think, I think you still hold that record.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

As far as I know I do. I was, I think it was in the Guinness Book of World Records, but I was told I was the young. Started when I was 17.

[Mayim Bialik]

You weren't wearing cat eye glasses then. Like, by then you had become like this girl who's like, I'm gonna go to Vegas.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

No, I'll tell you what happened. I don't know what happened. I think, I think I owe it to Ann Margaret in Bye Bye Birdie and Viva Las Vegas. I saw her in those movies when I was about 13 and 14. And I go, that's what I want to be. That's what I want to look like. And I, I don't know, it just, it changed everything for me. I, I, you know, I, I threw away the glasses, I started wearing contacts and, and started doing my hair differently. Met some drag queens who gave me fantastic makeup tips. And it just all changed for me right around puberty. I went from super homely little geek girl to like super sexy round, you know, Nixon.

[Mayim Bialik]

Were your parents supportive of you kind of leaving to pursue this dream of, you know, eventually heading to Hollywood?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Not all that much, no. No, they thought it was a pretty stupid idea. They were always telling me, well, you can do that, but you better think of something normal, jobs that you can make money at because you can't live, you know, on just nothing out there in Hollywood now. I wouldn't call them supportive. I mean, they were cautious. They thought it was cool once in a while when I, well, when I got to be a showgirl in Vegas, they, they thought, wow, she, she wasn't kidding. She's really doing this thing. So they became a little more supportive as time went on. But initially, I mean, if Your daughter is 14 and wants to be a go Go girl, you don't say, yeah, that's awesome.

[Mayim Bialik]

You know, I know it's a really broad, possibly dumb question. What was Vegas like then?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Vegas was awesome then. And I always tell people, God, I wish, wish, wish it could go back to those days. I mean, for one thing, if you went to see a show in Vegas, women wore floor length gowns, little mink stoles. And the guys were in either tuxedos or very fancy suit and you know, the Rat Pack was playing there. And I mean, going to a show there was amazing. You'd have like a four course meal and champagne and watch the show. And it was, it was so classy. It really, really was, especially to me coming from, you know, Kansas. But now, like, it's, you know, you have to have, I think they have rules, the dress code that you have to have your butt crack showing and you have to, you know, wear Bermuda shorts and a torn T shirt. And that's how you get in a show. I don't know. But I go there today and I'm so disappointed. I. I wish there was somewhere like Vegas used to be. There isn't?

[Mayim Bialik]

No, not that I know of. If I, if I find it, I'll tell you and we can go together.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Let me know.

[Mayim Bialik]

How long were you in Vegas? Kind of living that life.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

I went there in 1969 and I think I left in 1971. I had a one year long contract and from the time the show started until I left and then I moved to France. I don't know why, but yeah, so about a year and a half altogether.

[Mayim Bialik]

Okay. You eventually made your way to Los Angeles. You were in the Groundlings?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Yes.

[Mayim Bialik]

At some point you want to sort of take things to the next level and move into the acting world. How did that transition happen?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Well, it was kind of a long way from Vegas to Hollywood via Europe. And I was in a band and tried to do some other shows, singing shows and some other various bands. I got in a band called Mama's Boys, went all over the country for four and a half years. But eventually I just made a decision in my mind that I was getting too old to be a dancer and I wasn't that great of a singer. And I made up my mind the next step should be acting. I was like, where do I go from here? All I knew how to do was show business. I'd never done any other job. I mean, once in a while, miscellaneous table waiting or temporary secretary. But I had no career and I hadn't attended college or anything. So, you know, what was I going to do? So I decided I would get into acting when I moved to LA, probably in about, I can't remember exactly, 74, 75, started taking various acting classes, but it was a long haul before I got to the Groundlings. I didn't get into the groundlings till late 70s, I think, 78 or 79. And then I was in there for four and a half years with Phil Hartman, Paul Rubens, John Paragon, who was my writing partner and played Jambi the Genie on Pee Wee's Playhouse for people that know him.

[Mayim Bialik]

Oh, gosh, that's awesome.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

And anyway, and I gotta say that I think the Groundlings was the probably the best thing I ever did for my career. It really, really was. It taught me to think on my feet. And, you know, I wasn't that good at reading lines or anything. So it's. It's really important. I mean, if people are looking to get to be in comedy, I can't think of a better launching pad than being in the Groundlings. So many people have come out of there, as, you know.

[Mayim Bialik]

No, it's. I mean, it's such a historic place. And I'm just thinking of the time that you were doing all these things. It was like a real other era, you know, of Hollywood that you kind of began in. And I guess that's because you started so young, but then to be in the Groundlings, you were at the Groundlings in such a, you know, a fertile time for comedy, especially in Los Angeles. And the genesis of Elvira as we know her, if I'm understanding this correctly, came from a character you were doing at Groundlings, which was not Elvira. But describe how we get from Groundlings to Elvira.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

I did a character in there, and I didn't have very many characters. I was not a great character person. My character was the sexy girl, the girlfriend, the showgirl, the stripper. That's what I played. All of those parts in the Groundlings. Weird, right? And so I wasn't great at characters, but I did have this one character that was a blossoming actress, and she was on an audition with another Groundling. We were sitting there at an audition. We were wearing exactly the same dress, had the same hair, everything. And we turned to each other and go, I like your dress. And we're just a couple of dorks in Hollywood. And I was doing a little bit of a Valley Girl thing because Frank Zappa and Moon had just put out the song Valley Girl, so. And we knew those type of girls. Boy, did we. They were all over la. So we were being kind of like that, you know, and the director of the TV show that was a local TV show saw me in that character and decided he really liked me and called me in for the audition, you know, and getting an audition for a part late night on local TV wasn't exactly my dream job. I had just lost the part of Ginger on Gilligan's island just by a hair. And so this was like, you know, it'll be a little money, but what the hell, at least I won't have to book more temp secretary jobs. So anyway, that's how that kind of happened. I went on the audition and there were lots of women there and I got the part.

[Mayim Bialik]

So what was the audition for specifically?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

A horror hostess who they were going to call Vampira.

[Mayim Bialik]

And did you, what did you go in looking like?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

I went in kind of like this. I had red hair, I had on a turquoise dress, same color as this, and little white sandals. And I just la la la went in and when I walked into the room I was surrounded by women in long black dresses with long black hair and fangs put in. And it was one of those moments like, oh my God, I showed up at the wrong party. So it was a miracle that I still got the part. I don't know.

[Jonathan]

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[Jonathan]

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[Podcast Host/Announcer]

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[Jonathan]

Mayimbialics breakdown is supported by Better Help.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

October 10th is World Mental Health Day, an important day that we've mentioned here every year at Mayambialics Breakdown. This year, we're saying thank you to all the therapists who truly make the world a better place one person at a time. And that's definitely including Better Help therapists who have helped over 5 million people worldwide on their mental health journeys. That's millions of stories, millions of journeys. Behind everyone is a therapist who showed up, listened, and helped someone take a step forward. Moments in therapy, like the right question, a safe place to cry, or a small win can change lives. This World Mental Health Day Better helps honoring those connections in the therapists who make them possible, while showing how easy it is to get guidance from a licensed therapist online with Better Help. Our experience with therapy is that it has changed our lives, our framework, given us a sense of perspective, and it's something we used to say, oh, can I skip this week? Now we both know we cannot live without it. The right therapist can change everything. And BetterHelp has 12 plus years experience in matching people to the right therapist. Their therapists work according to a strict code of conduct. They're fully licensed in the US A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences. If you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist at any time from fully tailored recommendations, fully online. And you can pause your subscription whenever you need to switch therapists anytime, no extra cost. With over 30,000 therapists, better help is the world's largest online therapy platform. This World Mental Health Day, we're celebrating the therapists who've helped millions of people take a step forward. If you're ready to find the right therapist for you, Better Help can help you start on that journey. Our listeners get 10% off their first [e-mail] break.

[Jonathan]

That's better. H E L P.com break.

[Mayim Bialik]

And then from there. How was Elvira as we know her born? Because, and again, Jonathan, there's a very specific personality that goes along with Elvira and it's, you know, it's not sort of a traditional, you know, female kind of host. I mean, there were many females on television at this time. But most of them were kind of eye candy. You know, it was like the ladies on Price is Right. It was that kind of thing. So to have, you know, this was a woman kind of owning this space with a very specific give zero Fs kind of about other people's perspective. I mean, at least that's sort of my reading. But how was that, both the look and that attitude born?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

I wish I could say I sat down and had a nice. You know, there was a concerted effort to make it that way, but I was grabbing at straws, to tell you the truth. I was like, okay, I got this job. I have to look like a sexy, scary something. I didn't know what a horror host was. I know I'm supposed to look sexy. I know I'm supposed to look spooky. And I got one of my best friends, a guy named Robert Redding, to help me. He was an artist, so he drew a couple of renderings of what we thought it might look like. We were going for Sharon Tate and the Fearless Vampire Killers in, like, a sheer, gauzy pink dress with long flowing red hair and, you know, kind of dead girl eyes and lips. And the station, when we walked in with that sketch, we're like, no, no, no, no, no, no. She has black hair, black dress, you know, the whole black thing. So back to the drawing board. We brought in a picture. It was kind of an updated 80s punk. Yeah, groovy sort of vampire, female vampire look. You know, we wanted to make it sexy, but we had this plunging neckline. I told my friend Robert, they're never going to go for this. And they just picture for a while and said, could you make the slit on the leg higher? And that was it. You know, it's local tv, it's coming on late at night. They just wanted ratings.

[Mayim Bialik]

So, I mean, my mind is blown in so many ways just thinking about sort of like the evolution of this. And it's true. There was a very kind of Joan Jett meets, you know, vampire meets. I mean, it was. It was all the things kind of coming together and in terms of the personality, because, you know, I do. I love this story. It's like a small town farm girl, like, makes good and, like, goes to Vegas and shows her parents, like, there's more to the world than just our little farm. And then, like, you go to la and of course you're like, you're struggling, but also, like, you're living this dream that is so far, you know, from what you came from. And then we get here and you are, you know, a woman ahead of her time in terms of being given this position to also own your identity. So many women we were seeing on television at that time were being designed by old white men. And this character, it, it felt like, you know, it felt like it was you. Like, it felt so authentic when I watched you. This is. This lady. Where was that personality from?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

I thought a lot about the personality. And I've always said to people, there's nothing about Elvira that's like me. But one day it dawned on me that Elvira is my personality. When I was a teenager, wow. I was the biggest loudmouth, smart ass. You couldn't tell me anything. I knew everything. And I was just going to be super hot and sexy and ballsy. And as time went on, life kind of tempered all of that, I guess. You know, I think a little more, you know, modest, I guess. But I think about Elvira and I think that's how I was when I was a teenager. I just didn't take any crap from anybody. And I was such a parents worst nightmare, I guess. But I really think that's where the personality came from. And I have a lot of people also who participated in helping me be that way. My writer John Paragon, my friend Robert Redding, you know, and a million and one gay men. Really. I think I totally categorize Elvira as a drag Queen. I am 100% a drag queen. There's nothing different about me and any drag queen I know, except I don't tuck, you know. But other than that, we're pretty much exactly the same. And the other important part is I own my character, so I get to do it the way I want. There's no one with input into my character or my business that I don't want. So that is incredibly lucky. As you know, Pee Wee Herman, Paul Rubens also is the same. I think he always says, we're the members of the most exclusive club in the world. There's just two of us. Basically. This is what they call Gene Simmons or Alice Cooper or someone part of that club. But not many people own their characters.

[Jonathan]

I'm curious how that happened. Because it was a role that you auditioned for, but then they allowed you to own the rights to the character. How did that work?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Well, it was kind of weird. They, they. We asked for more money. Every, every year we'd ask if I could be bumped up from the $350 I was making each week.

[Mayim Bialik]

Stop it.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

For the number one. Yeah, number one show on their, on their local station.

[Mayim Bialik]

Everyone Was likely profiting except the actual person who was creating it.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Yeah, and I was buying the props, I was setting the lights sometime. I was riding it with my partner John. We were doing everything and it was their number one rated show. And I was getting $350. They bumped me up finally all the way to $500 a week before taxes. But I still had to work temporary secretary jobs during the day to pay my rent. I'm making like nothing. And we asked for more for a pay raise and they say no. So we said, how about just the rights to be able to have a fan club so I can make a little money, you know, charge people like five bucks and amazing, like a friend club. So they said yes. Then we asked them. I. I got asked to be on a couple other shows like Chips and other show. And we asked them for the rights to use the character on another show and they said yes. Then we just kept asking for little rides and one day we owned them all.

[Mayim Bialik]

How many years did it take from you being that young woman who got this audition to you kind of having ownership over, I am the boss of this company, meaning, you know, having that ownership. Not just kind of legally, but how long did it take for you to kind of not have to work those other jobs and say, like, this is my company is being this person?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

It wasn't that long. It wasn't that long. It was maybe a period of five or so years. And I think getting the movie finally in 1987, so that was about six years later. But getting my film Mistress of the Dark with NBC, that was kind of the launching pad where we said, oh, this thing is bigger than just the local LA phenomenon.

[Mayim Bialik]

I'm curious what your personal life was like then. You are not married currently, but you were married to someone for 25 years. Were you married young? Like, were you with someone through all of this? Were you, Elvira, more than you were you at that time? Or were you still kind of balancing identities with work and personal life?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

I had just married my then husband two weeks before I got the character of Elvira, which has turned out to be very, very unfortunate as far as the divorce goes.

[Mayim Bialik]

I get it.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Yeah. Okay. Won't go into that any further. But he worked as my manager and we were like, wow, this thing we could. He was basically an out of work musician and he worked with me to. To try to kind of exploit the character. We met another manager, a guy who managed Todd Rundgren and Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones and a few, you know, rock Acts and he had a little management expertise. So he, together with my husband, set up a lot of things and get a lot of things going for me because I was really going. I didn't know what the hell to do.

[Mayim Bialik]

So what was it kind of like, you know, once you were able to stop working sort of day jobs and this sort of was your day job, were you able to be anonymous? Did you sort of live that dual identity?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Yes, I lived 100% that dual identity, which was the best, best thing about my career, honestly. I knew a lot of other celebrities, and it can be a pain in the butt to be famous, especially when you live in L. A. You know, you can't go out to dinner and not be bothered. You can't have a private walk in the park, you can't go shopping at the grocery store without people stopping you or taking pictures of you. And, you know, you don't put makeup on or anything. And then, then you end up on the COVID of the National Enquirer saying, only days to live. You know, stuff like that. So I was the luckiest celebrity alive. I was completely anonymous. Not so much these days because people are starting to become aware of me doing other things. But back then in the 80s, 90s and even early 2000s, I never, never, never got recognized out of drag. So I could be famous when I wanted to and party and do all the fun things that that fame affords you. And I could be a private, normal person when I wanted to, which was amazing.

[Mayim Bialik]

That's really. It's incredible. You had a daughter. What was that experience like? I mean, obviously you had a, you know, a career and, you know, that's a big decision for a lot of women in Hollywood, right? Like, when do you have a child? When do you do that to your body and your existence? What was that like for you?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Well, I had wanted to have a child for a long time, since I was 34. I don't know. I never had wanted to. Earlier I got to be 34 and all of a sudden it was my number one go. Just. I don't know why. Some hormones or something must have kicked in, but it was actually a great experience. I sort of thought, oh, yay, at least I get nine months where I don't work wrong. Through my whole pregnancy. I did a mom's workout video when I was nine months pregnant. I did Coors beer commercials just from the head up. A lot of photo sessions, just again, from the chest up.

[Mayim Bialik]

I mean, my teeth look pregnant, so I did not have that when I When I was pregnant, I could not have done a photo shoot to literally.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Say, saved my child's life.

[Mayim Bialik]

But I'm happy for you that you had that experience.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

It was. It was. I tell you, my pregnancy was one of the best times of my life. And. And then I had a great birth and everything. I was pretty old. I was 43 when. When I had her, but it went great. And that was after six miscarriages for the previous six years. So she was seventh one and lucky number seven. But anyway, yeah, me having that split personality afforded some normalcy in our life, you know, where she wasn't like the child of a celebrity. She had a pretty regular upbringing, except that I was Elvira, except for that part.

[Mayim Bialik]

I remember when my kids were old enough to realize I wasn't just mom, but that other people owned me. And when I would put on hair and makeup, which obviously is not maybe it was to my children, as significant as, you know, you putting on your Elvira, you know, drag, as you called it. But I remember when my kids were little, they. Miles used to say, no clown. No clown. He thought I looked like a clown, you know, when I wore any makeup. And it would really freak them out if, you know, my hair was done. And, you know, they were still little. But, you know, I remember there was that kind of realization. And, you know, my kids didn't know who I was really to other people because I was on a. Let's say, a TV show or something that they were too young to even understand or watch. But with you as this kind of Persona that didn't just exist on a show, you know, it's. It was kind of an entire movement and universe that you revolved in. Did your daughter have a different concept of you as someone who works out of the house doing something different?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

You know, I was Elvira a lot from the time she was born. I mean, I have pictures of her when she's just the tiniest, tiniest little boy baby, maybe a month old, you know, and we were always, of course, putting her in Elvira situations. We'd have the wig on her, and we'd have her with a dagger and with a snake. And so she kind of grew up with all that. So I don't think it was too bizarre for her, really seeing me like that. She was really into Halloween. We were into Halloween. So it wasn't. Wasn't too weird. But she did really grow to not like the character. I mean, and it wasn't not liking me. It was just. I couldn't have gotten her in an Elvira costume to save my soul after she got old enough to talk. So she liked Halloween but is not a big fan of the character. I think she probably feels better about it now, but I don't know. She was. Yeah, not a fan.

[Mayim Bialik]

Is she in the industry?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

No. Very good musician, but a musician and an artist.

[Mayim Bialik]

I mean, I'm so fascinated just about the fact that you have a child. Because also Elvira was, you know, I mean, it's like she never aged. She was just this one, you know, she represented kind of all of youth and all of maturity, you know, all at once.

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[Mayim Bialik]

You were married for 25 years, which is a long haul and you are divorced and you ended up meeting someone and the story is actually incredible that you thought it was a bad boy and it turned out to be a bad girl. And it's a beautiful story and also I think, really wonderful that you're willing to share it with people so that, you know, people can also access more parts of the human, you know, behind this person and this image. I'm not sure how much you like to or want to talk about it. And, you know, I'm less curious. Like, did you always think you were a lesbian? I'm not necessarily curious to poke it at that point, but I. I am curious about, you know, being with someone for 25 years is a huge amount of time and to sort of have this second opportunity at a new relationship. Can you speak to that a little bit?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Yeah. Well, I never thought of myself as possibly gay. A lot of people in interviews have said, when did you know you were gay? And I. I didn't. I still don't. I don't know. I guess I am, but I'm. I'm with a female partner, but I never had thoughts. I mean, if you read my book, you'll see that I was with a lot of guys. Yes.

[Mayim Bialik]

No, I. A lot of very, very famous guys.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

And no women before. I often tell people, they say, why are you with a woman? I said, I ran out of guys. Anyway. No, I. I met her. And it's funny, you were just talking about after I got pregnant and your body, and I was a little worried about, you know, I mean, I gave birth at 43 years old. I thought, is my body ever going to be back into shape again? And so I quickly went to get a trainer and start working out, which I really hadn't done before that.

[Mayim Bialik]

You were just naturally thin and stunning and perfect.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Well, thank you. Believe me, it takes a lot of work and it takes more work every day. But I went to the gym, to Gold's Gym in Hollywood and started training. And after a couple years with my male trainer, he was moving on and suggested this female trainer that was there, and that was. That was my partner, T. But it was six. Six years after that until we became, like, got into a relationship. I just looked at her as a friend and my trainer. I liked her very much. She had a partner. I had my husband. We were nothing but friends. Platonic relationship. And. And then I got divorced. And I really, really thought. I, you know, I got divorced at 50 years old, and I really thought, this is it for me. No more relationships. I'm done. This is over. It was such a brutal divorce, and it was so awful to put my child through. Especially then I thought, I don't want any more relationships in my life. Next thing I know, I'm in a relationship with a woman. I don't know how that happened. I can't tell you, really. I don't know. I don't know what happened. She's very, very attractive to me anyway, obviously, and sexy and. And very, very sweet and kind Everybody that meets her really loves her. Very private personnel. She doesn't like to be in the spotlight ever.

[Mayim Bialik]

Is she younger? I'm curious. How much younger?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

10 years younger. Exactly the same as my husband was. 10 years. I like him. Younger, huh? Apparently. Apparently.

[Mayim Bialik]

I don't know. And this is a question I would ask whether the person you were with was male or female or non binary, you know, other. Let's say, for six years. Was there ever any thought in your mind like, I would really be curious about this person romantically or sexually? Or was it literally, like, not even part of your.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

I thought she was pretty sexy. I mean.

[Mayim Bialik]

Got it.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

I mean, you mentioned briefly that story about where I was on the treadmill warming up, and I looked over and I saw this super hot guy. I mean, you know, I was still a horn dog, even though I was married, I wasn't dead. And. And I see this super hot guy every day. I see him walking around the gym and I'm just like, oh, my God, muscles and tattoos and, ah, so hot. And one day I walk into the ladies room and bam, straight into him. And it turned out to be tea. So, yeah, I, I thought she was really sexy, but I also have a lot of girlfriends, meaning girlfriend friends that are. Girls were also very sexy. And I, I appreciate them and go, wow, damn, they're so hot. They're awesome. But I don't want to jump on them.

[Mayim Bialik]

Kind of going back to the Persona. And I talked a little bit about the kind of empowerment and sexuality that Elvira, I think, held for a lot of women. When you kind of look at the. The sort of landscape of, you know, a lot of the confusion and complexity about women and how we're treated and how we dress and should we dress this way, and what if they think this? And, you know, you. You've also, you've been in a position where you were a vulnerable woman, and you know what that is like as well. I'm curious, sort of, you know, as. As a mature woman who has also lived through, you know, a few decades in the industry. I'm curious what that sort of, what it means to you when you think about the struggles women have about sexuality, about empowerment. What, what does your experience. What can you tell us?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

God, I wish I had a. I wish I had something brilliant to tell you. I don't know. It's. It's hard for women. You know, it always sounds like sour grapes when you say, oh, I didn't get that job because I'm a woman, or, oh, I didn't get that because my shirt, my skirt was too short or I got all of that. Where does that matter and why? I mean, I mean, I think I decided when I was young I'm going to wear whatever I want to wear. And you know, everybody else. What does clothes have to do with and how you want to look and how you want to be? What does that have to do with who you are or anything? But obviously it does because it puts you in some pretty scary situations. I mean, I ran around wearing incredibly low cut, sexy clothes. I mean, I was a go go girl, show girl, you know, and I was never shy. But it got you in some bad situations, you know, that shouldn't have happened. But you know, women can never, can never get off that. I mean, I mean today they're talking about a woman, 22 year old woman in Iran who wasn't wearing her hajib tightly enough, it was too loose and they killed her. And there are huge, you know, protests happening right now. But if you give in, if you give in and go, oh yeah, I shouldn't wear that low cut dress, I'll wear something higher. And then they say that's too low. And then they say higher and then that's too low. And they say higher. Cover your face, cover your, everything you have. Don't be a woman, be a black blob of whatever. You know what, there's no. If you just keep going with how, whoever they are, the, I don't know, it's the Christian right, the moral majority, whoever they are, there's no end, then it'll be just women don't exist, go away, disappear, don't exist as a human being, maybe as an object.

[Mayim Bialik]

Very well said. I mean, you said you wished you had something brilliant to say. I think that's very well said. Do you think that because you were. I'm using your phrasing because you were in drag because Elvira was this, you know, in some ways otherworldly kind of character. Do you think there were different rules for you than there were for other women? Meaning, did it allow you to do more?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Yeah, it gave me a lot of license. And strangely, when I was in that drag, I took a lot of license. I felt like I could get away with anything. I don't know why. I feel a lot more confident, a lot more ballsy wearing that outfit. It's really strange. I don't know exactly what to attribute that to, but I don't have the same type of confidence as myself. I mean, I'm pretty confident, but not like that not like Elvira.

[Mayim Bialik]

Well, I was thinking what you said, though, that Elvira represented some aspects of you as a. As a teenager. And, you know, obviously I have an almost 17 year old and a 14 year old, so I totally get, you know, obstinate teenagers who don't give an F what you think and think you're the dumbest person in the world if you're the parent. But I also think there's something really interesting to the brazenness that we have as teenagers. And I think especially women, you know, when we can really. We're coming into our bodies, we're coming into our feelings, and we have all these hormones, but we do. We're kind of expressing exactly what we're feeling. And I. It's so interesting then that. I don't mean to sound like a hippie, but then when we grow older and you have to, like, tamp it down, you know, like, put on your dress pants and, you know, say, yes, please. Thank you, sir. And like, like signs, everywhere signs, you know, fucking up the scenery.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Signs. Exactly. Don't set me off on that song.

[Jonathan]

Well, you also start to know that whatever you're gonna say is gonna have some reaction, and so it becomes less worth it. As a young person, you're like, this is right, and it doesn't matter what anyone thinks. And then after a while you're like, all right, if I do this, I'm gonna get that response, and then I'm gonna have to deal with this. And it's like, better to just sort of skirt the issue and live my own life than to constantly confront or put things in other people's faces that then you're gonna get backlash for. And so it's like, yeah, do I really want to say that anymore? You have more foresight into how your actions are going to have reactions. And so it becomes not about suppressing yourself, but in. And it's about picking your spots more.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

That's the sad thing. I guess if, you know, if you could. If everybody could stay thinking like children, the world would be a lot better place. But as you grow older, then you get like, to be a rebellious teen. And then you're exactly right. Your personality kind of gets tamped down, you know, just because you're saying, if I do this, I'm not going to get that. And pretty soon, you know, they like a lot of people.

[Mayim Bialik]

Well, and that's what I was just gonna say. It's about being authentic, right? And the more you sort of feel the need to conform and do what other People are doing. And I think for women and, you know, with the media pressures and things, and culturally it's different, but for men as well, it's like you're. You're basically told, be like the other people. And any parts of you that are resistant or rebellious or some might say interesting, you know, that's not welcome. Why was Elvira so popular in the Bible Belt?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Yeah, isn't that wacky? Because I think people who repress their sexual urges are the people who become weirdos and creeps and pedophiles and all of that stuff, you know, but when people go after, like, other people who are that way, it's because they really might feel that way themselves and want to be sure that they, you know, stuff it back down in there.

[Mayim Bialik]

I'm sure one of the things that you're asked probably most about, or I would imagine it's gotta be in the top five, is are you really a Halloween person? Are you really a spooky person? You lived apparently in a house that was haunted. I need to know, like, obviously you. You must have had to sort of take on some of that, you know, as. As part of your world, because you were so immersed in it. But can you speak to that and then tell us about the haunted house?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Yeah, I really am a Halloween person. I was. When I was a kid, I talk about in my book how I went to see House on Haunted Hill with Vincent Price, starring Vincent Price. My cousin took me, and I was fascinated. I'd never seen anything like that. It was about in third grade, I think. I became obsessed with Frankenstein and Dracula and all this creepy stuff. I started buying Famous Monsters magazine and ordering model kits out of the back of it to paint. You know, I mean, my sisters were playing with Barbies and I was playing with Frankenstein and Wolfman, you know, So I really, really was into that very, very much. And all my life kept this. I don't know, things that my favorite shows were, like the Addams Family, Twilight Zone. I just love the spooky. And I loved Halloween. Halloween was the biggest holiday for me and my family because, believe it or not, my mother and my aunt ran a costume shop. And so Halloween was the biggest deal for my family. We decorated like crazy because she got all this great stuff in her shop that she sold. Everybody dressed up in costume. You know, we could have the best costumes because they were free. So, yeah, my whole life was very, very Halloweeny. And I. I couldn't have done the job of Elvira. I couldn't have done the movie Hosting. If I had not been into these movies, I. Nobody could sit through all the movies I have sat through. And like, nobody, Nobody. If you weren't into it. I through that phase for about seven or eight years where I wanted everything in the house to be spooky and dark. My gate in the front of the house was a big, giant metal spider web that opened. The whole house was dark and decorated with. With, you know, just all kinds of spooky stuff that I could find. Antiques and everything. But we move into that house, and I have a whole chapter in my book about that house. The house was called Briarcliff Manor.

[Mayim Bialik]

It's already spooky.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Yes, it's already spooky. When we moved in. And one thing after another happened there. And I had never had any of those experiences happen before. And, you know, I was like 35 years old by then. Never had them happen after. After we sold the house to Brad Pitt, by the way.

[Mayim Bialik]

To Brad Pitt.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

It's the best part of the story. Is that awesome? That was the best part about the house. And it was just crazy, the stuff that happened in that house. I got to be really, really paranoid about living there. Did not feel good about it. There had been several deaths there that were violent. But the house was built in 19. Can't remember now. 1906, 1910, I can't remember. But early, early 1900s, many people had died there and in. In violent ways. And I think there. I honestly, I think the energy was still hanging around in there and wasn't able to get out. The only reason we stayed is I finally got an exorcist Catholic priest that came and did a whole exorcism of the house. And they got a Native American man who. Who routinely went to places to clear them out with sage and everything. And. And after I had both of those done, all the spooky stopped. It was done over. And I felt incredibly safe there. In fact, I was in the middle of Hollywood, and I never even felt the need to lock any of the doors again, ever. I just, you know, which was probably stupid, but I also had two gigantic rottweilers that helped.

[Mayim Bialik]

Are you a. I'm curious, were you raised religious? Are you a spiritual person? Do you normally think and feel about energies, like, in general or just kind of spooky energies?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Yeah, I was not raised religious at all. My parents were just. Basically. They never talked about religion. That I was forced to go to Sunday school when I was really little, but I even skipped that. I'd go in the Front door and out the back door and go catch tadpoles down in the creek. But, yeah, it was not raised religious, but I do have a very strong sense of spiritualism. I do believe in the. A higher power of some kind, of course, and. And that things happen for a reason and that. I don't know. For a long time, I. I was very much in the belief, and I still am of science of mind. I don't know if you're familiar with the whole premise of science of mind, but it's kind of you controlling your outcome in life. And that's. Sure, that's easy to say, but, you know, a lot of people would go, yeah, that's, you know, so easy for you to say, but I really do believe in. You create your own reality. And that's kind of a spiritual thing.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Absolutely.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

And I believe also that people have sensitivity to things like spirits or, you know, spirits of somebody who had passed on. I mean, I've just heard too many. Too many stories of people getting signals from someone else who has maybe passed on that too many of them that they just can't be completely ridiculous, you know. So, yeah, that's. That's kind of how I believe. I. I would. I would say I was very spiritual.

[Mayim Bialik]

So, obviously you have this, this book and, you know, your entire, you know, catalog of films and television and, you know, products and, I mean, it's an entire brand. Are you tired of being Elvira? Like, is there a point at which you say, like, I'm done, or is this just sort of. It's. I would imagine it's very different, you know, playing. You've played this second character, you know, almost your entire life. You know, the vast majority of your life, you have had this kind of dual identity. Is she kind of with you forever and always, or is there a point at which you're just you again?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

I have been thinking about this and talking about it. I actually had a big meeting with my manager yesterday about it, and it was. It is because I'm going to tell you that you were speaking about spirituality and ghosts and all that. I had a dream just a few nights ago. I was in New York City and I had this dream and it was so intense. I was with Brad Pitt and Nicholas Cage, and we were at a screening of Brad Pitt's new movie, and Nicholas said to me, brad is getting really, really depressed. He doesn't think this movie is good. And I don't know, he really is down. And I said, I'll go talk to him. So I go over to Brad and I say, why are you so worried about this movie coming up? He goes, well, I'm getting older and I have to keep upping my game. I have to keep trying it. But now I'm getting older and I'm not as good looking and I don't have as much energy and blah, blah, blah. And I go, you are Brad Pitt. Just snap out of it. You don't have to do anything. You can slow down. You can do whatever you want. You are always going to be Brad Pitt. And I woke up and the first thing I thought was, that was me talking to myself, giving myself a pep talk about slow down, for Christ's sake. I mean, I'm just. I work, work, work, work, work. I go all the time. And, you know, I've been working since I was 14 years old. I'm 71 now. It's like. Like, I'd like a break, damn it. I'd like to just go have some fun and do some things. But that doesn't mean Elvira is going away. I just kind of have to step off the platform and be a little bit more behind the scenes. I mean, I've got a lot of merchandising and licensing out there. I have my book. I'd like to do a documentary of my book. I certainly don't think I'd stop working. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't work. I think I'm too closely tied to me is my work, you know, that kind of thing. But I would like to just step back a little bit and have some free time for once. So, yeah, that's my. That happened to me just the other day. It's funny you brought that up.

[Mayim Bialik]

You're also going on tour in Romania next year.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Oh, yeah, I'm working. Yeah.

[Mayim Bialik]

Is that somewhere you've been before?

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Yes, I shot my movie Elvira's Haunted Hills in Romania, in the region that was Transylvania. And it is awesome. It's fantastic. So beautiful. People are kind. And it was just a wonderful place to be. It's a little bit like going back to the 16th century, but I'm really looking forward to that. We've had this tour planned for now three years because we were ready to go. We sold out. We had all the people going with us, and it. It was. The pandemic happened, so it was canceled. Then we get to do it. It's all set for May, and the Ukrainian war happens, and it's on the border of Romania, very nearby, and we canceled. So we're trying one more time. I really hope it works out because I'm just dying to go over there and kind of revisit all of the scenery and the people from shooting my movie there for so many months.

[Mayim Bialik]

It's wonderful. I've never been there, but it's also such a special place in terms of what you have brought to that region. Final question. What if I were to ask you, what do you feel Elvira represents for people? What do you see? You've kind of contributed to our world of media with Elvira.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Well, I hear this all the time from fans, so I can hardly believe it. Sometimes people come up to me and whether they were overweight when they were child, are gay when they were a child, or in some way just they didn't fit in, they say that I was a major influence, that Elvira was a major influence. To them, to stand up to bullies, to feel like being an outsider, a geek, is okay. And I'm just. I'm shocked and amazed by the people that tell me that story. I've even had people say I was going to kill my. And then I saw Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, the movie. And it gave me confidence. I mean, I'm like, really? It's hard for me to believe, but I've heard it a million times, so I'm gonna have to believe it by now. So that's the happiest thing for me. That's the best, best part about being Elvira. If I changed one or two people's life, and I think possibly a lot more for the better, then my job here is done.

[Mayim Bialik]

It's been such a pleasure to get to talk to you. I mean, my childhood self is just freaking the fuck out. I mean, it's just really. It's incredible and also just so wonderful to hear. Yeah. To hear more about you and to, you know, get to see you as a mom and an entrepreneur, and it's just amazing. Really, really amazing.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Thank you. Oh, thank you. Boy, I love this show. You're just flattering from the beginning to the end. That's fantastic. Thank you.

[Mayim Bialik]

It has been such a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you so much. And we wish you the best with the tour and with the book as well.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Thank you so much. This was a lot of fun. I really appreciate it.

[Mayim Bialik]

That was like getting to meet my childhood babysitter. My brother and I spent. Spent so many hours with that woman in front of the television. And, you know, it's funny because my parents were very careful about what I Watched and you know, I wasn't allowed to see R rated movies. There was no PG13 then. You know, my mom was raised very, very religious and my dad was also raised, you know, very conservative. And although they had their kind of hippie face, they were pretty socially conservative. Elvira was the exception to that rule because she was so, she was so otherworldly. I mean, I don't want to say she was like a cartoon character because that sounds demeaning, but I mean, her identity, it's like she was beyond a person. She was this like sexy, awesome presence that you could not say no to.

[Jonathan]

It doesn't track for me though. Like you're. If your parents are very protective of their child, this, this woman are like, yeah, sure, no problem.

[Mayim Bialik]

But that's what I'm saying. She was, she was different. I mean, she was clearly a woman and very sexy. But because of, I mean, and this is just the way I'm kind of thinking about it. I didn't sexualize her. I mean, culture was very different then. But I didn't think of her like I thought of, you know, Angeline or like when I heard about Playboy magazine, you know, she wasn't that because. And again, this is no insult to the women in Playboy magazine. I didn't get to know them.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Right.

[Mayim Bialik]

You would just hear about them or people would, you know. You didn't read the interviews. I also was not reading the interviews and I wasn't looking at Playboy magazine. But what I'm saying thing is her identity, it, it had so much personality and she had, she was a really fleshed out character and I don't know that that makes it better, worse.

[Jonathan]

I'm not that let you watch the horror movies.

[Mayim Bialik]

I know. I think that I was more interested in what she would say and like, like her shtick.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

But.

[Jonathan]

Did you watch the horror movies?

[Mayim Bialik]

Yeah, but they weren't gory. Like the ones that my brother and I would watch, like those specials, they weren't. It wasn't like super gore. We were watching like old monster movies, like sometimes from like the 50s and 60s. Like, you know, it was, it was so niche. Like it was. I was never into slasher movies or anything like that, but it was this vibe, you know, and especially on Halloween, like sometimes we trick or treat, but like that wasn't a holiday that my parents grew up with. So like other kids did it, but like they really honestly could care less. But we were, we'd sometimes like go out with friends, but we would just watch Elvira when we came home.

[Jonathan]

Took Halloween very, very seriously.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Oh, they do that in Canada.

[Jonathan]

It's not just Canadians. I would, like, map out the neighborhoods.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Well, that's.

[Mayim Bialik]

Cause you were, first of all.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

I was, yeah.

[Mayim Bialik]

You were always working in Angus.

[Jonathan]

Not just, like, a plastic bag or one of those pumpkins. I would go to different neighborhoods.

[Mayim Bialik]

Yeah. Okay, well, this.

[Jonathan]

I had to make that stuff last.

[Mayim Bialik]

Okay, well, this was a very different, you know, experience. And I also think, you know, I think there was something. I mean, she said it herself, like, there was more. She had more freedom as a person. And, I mean, I think there's so much, like, deep psychology to this identity she created and live. Imagine. I mean, I have no idea if she has any idea who I am, but imagine if I had a different Persona and I wasn't me.

[Jonathan]

You'd love that.

[Mayim Bialik]

When she was like, oh, I got to party. I got to have so much fun, I was like, tell me about it. What did they do, the people?

[Jonathan]

What is a party?

[Mayim Bialik]

Like, what is it like to do? What is it like to be yourself at a party? The saddest. Anyway, that was really, really cool. I loved. She talked about energy. I wanted to tell her about my.

[Jonathan]

House, which we think is a little bit haunted. But you've had people try to come and clear it.

[Mayim Bialik]

Things got better after. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, things absolutely changed. I'm just being honest with you. We were hanging out last night, and then when you left, the house creaked and you got. No, it was like. It wasn't just creaking and like, sorry, we might as well do this. I knew where the cats were. Like, they were not running around.

[Jonathan]

You ain't afraid of no ghost.

[Mayim Bialik]

I am afraid of every ghost and most humans. This is a really awesome way to enter these final days of October, as all Hallows Eve approacheth. I don't like anything about Halloween. I'm scared already, really, of everything in the supermarkets. I'm afraid something's gonna jump up at me. I. I literally. I'm very scared. Yeah, but what I do like, what I do like.

[Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)]

Sorry.

[Mayim Bialik]

This is possibly the nerdiest thing I've ever said. I do like Edgar Allan Poe a lot. We're gonna do an Instagram live on Halloween. Stay tuned. Yo. We might even have a few items to auction off that are spooky. There might even be an Edgar Allan Poe book.

[Jonathan]

We're like the two least Halloweeny people.

[Mayim Bialik]

Exactly. And we're doing an Instagram live. It's gonna be awesome.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Awesome.

[Jonathan]

Let's do it.

[Mayim Bialik]

I might make my Vegan bark. It's the one thing I do on Halloween. I make vegan Halloween bark.

[Jonathan]

Getting wild over here.

[Mayim Bialik]

Really, really special. I know you don't understand how deeply this was important for me and for Valerie, but it's honestly very, very, very fascinating to speak to her and to get to see that person behind this woman who really was ahead of her time in terms of, you know, owning so much of herself. Yeah. Really just freaking awesome. From our spooky breakdown? From our spooky breakdown? To the one we hope you never have? We'll see you next time?

[Mayim Bialik Outro Voice]

It's Maya Bialik's breakdown? She's gonna break it down for you? She's got a neuroscience PhD or two on fiction? And now she's gonna break down? To break down? She's gonna break it down?