Michigan native Ellen Sandweiss gained fame as one of the young cast
members of The Evil Dead (1981).
She first began her association with
The Evil Dead (1981)'s director
Sam Raimi and its star
Bruce Campbell when she attended
high school with them. Sandweiss appeared in some of Raimi's early
Super 8 films, including
Within the Woods (1978), the
short film that Raimi and company used to interest investors in the
feature-length version of
The Evil Dead (1981). Sandweiss
went on to play Cheryl, the sister of
Bruce Campbell's Ash character,
in the legendary horror flick.
The Evil Dead (1981) was shot on
a shoestring budget in Morristown, Tennessee, and it was a grueling
production for all involved. When it was over, Sandweiss finished
college and left her movie days behind her while
The Evil Dead (1981) amassed a
tremendous cult following. On the twentieth anniversary of the film's
release, Sandweiss and her fellow
The Evil Dead (1981) cast members
Betsy Baker and
Theresa Tilly began making public
appearances under the name "Ladies of the Evil Dead". Soon after,
Sandweiss made a return to horror films with a role in
Satan's Playground (2006)
which also starred another horror icon,
Sleepaway Camp (1983)'s
Felissa Rose.
