Horror legendCassandra Petersonbelieves that her beloved Elvira character will live on long after the actress is gone, but perhaps not in live-action. With her run on television and in the filmElvira, Mistress of the Dark, Peterson has long been a favorite for fans in the horror community. In recent years, she has continued to channel Elvira on occasion, which includes an appearance onThe Goldbergsandteaming up with Netflixto recommend horror movies at the streaming platform last year.
While Peterson continues to make appearances as Elvira, she is only human, and she knows she’s going to have to consider retirement. In a new interview withVariety, Peterson can’t say exactly when that day will come, but when it does, she doesn’t see that as the end of Elvira. The horror icon believes that the character is so beloved that she will continue to stick around for some time to come.
“I think I will retire, but I do not think that Elvira will ever retire. Elvira can completely go on without me even if I die, which I will at some point, I think the character will continue to be around. I think it can kind of be like Santa Claus is to Christmas.”
This is not to say that Peterson foresees another actress playing a live-action version of Elvira in a reboot. She points out how she’s even attempted to pass the torch this way once before but horror fans weren’t having it. Peterson refers to the 2007 reality showThe Search for the Next Elvirawhere April Wahlin was ultimately chosen by Elvira herself to succeed her as the character. For too many horror fans, however, there was just no replacing Peterson as Elvira.
“I tried it. I did this television show, Search for the Next Elvira. We got hundreds and hundreds of girls auditioning and we picked one. I thought, I’ll let this person be me and we’ll send her out to parades and shopping malls, and it just didn’t work. She was very good. It wasn’t their fault. [Fans] didn’t buy it, they wanted Elvira… If I did a biopic or, say, a Broadway production. I think somebody else could definitely play me. But I don’t think that they would permanently become Elvira. Unfortunately, I’d love to have somebody do that, but I don’t think it’ll work.”
Related:Elvira Joins the Fun in The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Haunted Halloween Hangout Promo
When Will Elvira Retire?
Fortunately, fans don’t have to worry about Peterson retiring just yet. She is set to join Joe Bob Briggs for the Shudder specialThe Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Haunted Halloween Hangout, which will stream live on Friday, Oct. 21. This follows the recent release ofThe Munsters, a new movie from director Rob Zombie featuring Peterson in a role far unlike the Mistress of the Dark. The film isstreamingon Netflix.
For more about the horror legend, fans can also read the new memoir from Peterson. Released last year and titledYours Cruelly, Elvira, the book details Peterson’s rise to fame as well as details about her personal life.
