Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, portrayed by Cassandra Peterson has been a horror icon for 40 years. 2022 marks the one year anniversary of Peterson’s coming out in her memoir Yours Cruelly, making her a queer icon as well. Peterson discussed both of these legacies with Indiewire.
At age 71 Peterson is pickier about when she portrays Elvira. Part of this is due to the fact she feels like she can now be her authentic self. She stated: “I can go everywhere as myself now, I don’t have to dress up as Elvira. I can do conventions, show appearances, as myself. I think my autobiography is what changed that.”
She goes on to say: “I’m not really out there doing Elvira as much. That’s not to say I’m not doing Elvira again, but it’s a lot. I can’t do this drag much longer.”
Peterson is thankful for the acceptance she has found in the horror community since coming out. She stated: “My hardcore fans don’t give a rat’s ass what I do. Most of them say being out makes them like me even more.” She goes on to say that the horror community thrives on being inclusive. She adds: “The horror genre really stands out as an inclusive genre of filmmaking. It’s so inclusive of different races, different sexualities, different genders, everything.”
Most of Peterson’s favorite horror films are older, such as the B-list films Plan 9 from Outer Space and Manos: The Hands of Fate. A more high-brow favorite is Dracula’s Daughter. Peterson stated about the film: “It’s insane how gay it is. She is a powerful feminist vampire and has a really strong, strong presence.”
Peterson is proud of the evolution of women in horror films and her role in it. She stated: “Women have come a long way in horror movies. They become the killer, they become the survivors. I think that is a reflection of where we are in society, moving in that direction instead of women always being the hapless victim who dies in the end. Women have much more of a presence now.”
