Hollywood is weird. Sometimes, it makes sense, and other times, you get a movie like Exit to Eden. If you haven’t seen it, honestly, count yourself lucky, but the cast of Exit to Eden is what makes the whole thing a fascinating train wreck. Released in 1994 and directed by Garry Marshall—yes, the same guy who gave us Pretty Woman—it attempted to blend a high-concept BDSM island getaway with a slapstick buddy-cop comedy. It failed. Spectacularly. But looking back at who was actually in this thing is like looking at a time capsule from an alternate dimension where everyone’s agent was on vacation at the same time.
Dan Aykroyd and Rosie O'Donnell playing undercover cops in leather? That happened.
The movie was based on a novel by Anne Rice. Yes, that Anne Rice. The "Vampire Chronicles" lady. Her book was a serious, erotica-heavy exploration of power dynamics and sexual liberation. The movie, however, decided to add jewel thieves and fart jokes. It’s one of the most tonal mismatches in cinema history.
The Headliners: Aykroyd, O'Donnell, and the Leather
The biggest shocker when you look at the cast of Exit to Eden is the leading duo. Dan Aykroyd was already an icon. He had Ghostbusters and The Blues Brothers under his belt. Rosie O'Donnell was the "Queen of Nice," a rising stand-up star who had just been in Sleepless in Seattle.
They play Fred Hanas and Sheila Kingston. They are cops. They are chasing diamond smugglers to a secret sex resort called Eden. To blend in, they have to dress the part. Watching Aykroyd in a gimp suit is a visual that, once seen, cannot be unseen. It’s not just that it’s silly; it’s that the movie doesn’t seem to know if it wants you to laugh with them or at the entire concept of the resort.
Rosie O’Donnell has been pretty vocal about the movie in the years since. She’s famously called it a "huge mistake." In her memoir and various interviews, she’s joked about how she only did it for the money or because she was convinced Garry Marshall could do no wrong. It’s a classic case of talented people being stranded by a script that didn't know what it wanted to be.
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The "Serious" Side: Dana Delany and Paul Mercurio
While the cops are providing the "comedy," the actual plot of the Anne Rice novel is being carried by Dana Delany and Paul Mercurio. Delany plays Mistress Lisa, the operator of the island. Fresh off her success in China Beach, Delany took the role seriously. She actually visited real-life BDSM clubs to research the part. She wanted to portray the lifestyle with some level of dignity and realism.
Then there’s Paul Mercurio as Elliot Slater. Mercurio was a massive deal at the time because of Strictly Ballroom. He was the "it" guy. In Exit to Eden, he’s the "client" who falls for the Mistress. Their scenes feel like they belong in a completely different movie—a moody, erotic drama. Then the camera cuts back to Dan Aykroyd getting whipped, and the whiplash is enough to give the audience a permanent neck injury.
Supporting Players and Surprising Cameos
The deeper you dig into the cast of Exit to Eden, the more "Oh, wait, they were in this?" moments you have.
- Iman: The legendary supermodel plays Nina Blackstone, one of the primary antagonists. She’s stunning, as always, but she’s essentially playing a cartoon villain.
- Stuart Wilson: He plays Omar, the partner in crime. Wilson was a go-to 90s villain (think The Mask of Zorro), and he does what he can with the material.
- Hector Elizondo: Because it’s a Garry Marshall film, Hector Elizondo has to be there. He plays Dr. Martin Halifax. Elizondo was Marshall's "good luck charm," appearing in every single movie the director made.
Why the Casting Failed the Movie
Casting is about chemistry and tone. When you assemble the cast of Exit to Eden, you’re mixing oil and water. You have dramatic actors like Delany and Mercurio trying to play a romance, while Aykroyd and O'Donnell are doing Police Academy riffs.
Critics at the time, like Roger Ebert, were baffled. Ebert gave it a lowly stars-and-a-half rating, noting that the movie was "too timid to be truly erotic and too embarrassed to be truly funny." He wasn't wrong. The cast felt like they were in four different movies.
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The production was also notoriously difficult. Filming on location in New Orleans and Hawaii sounds like a dream, but the logistical nightmare of balancing the "kink" elements with the "family-friendly comedy" vibes resulted in a mess. The movie's failure essentially killed the trend of "erotic comedies" before it even started.
The Anne Rice Factor
Anne Rice was reportedly unhappy. Can you blame her? She wrote a book about the complexity of human desire. The film turned it into a gag about handcuffs. The cast of Exit to Eden had to navigate this weird middle ground where they were reciting lines from a master of gothic fiction while wearing neon-colored spandex.
It’s worth noting that this wasn't the only Rice adaptation that struggled with casting. Interview with the Vampire (released the same year) faced massive backlash when Tom Cruise was cast as Lestat—though that movie actually turned out to be a hit. Exit to Eden didn't have that luck. It was a box office bomb, grossing only about $13 million against a significantly higher budget.
The Legacy of the Cast
Despite the movie being a dud, the cast of Exit to Eden mostly survived.
- Dana Delany went on to have a stellar career in Desperate Housewives and as the voice of Lois Lane in the DC Animated Universe.
- Rosie O'Donnell launched her talk show shortly after, which basically made the world forget about her leather-clad detective days.
- Dan Aykroyd kept being Dan Aykroyd, leaning into his passion for the paranormal and Crystal Head Vodka.
It’s a cult classic now, but for all the wrong reasons. People watch it to witness the sheer audacity of the casting choices. It’s a "How did this get made?" staple.
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When you look at the cast of Exit to Eden today, you see a group of professionals who were given a weird assignment and did their best to fulfill it. There’s something almost admirable about the commitment. Mercurio didn't phone it in. Delany didn't wink at the camera. They played it straight, even when the movie around them was collapsing into a heap of 90s clichés.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs
If you’re planning on revisiting this 90s relic or checking it out for the first time because you’re a fan of the cast, keep a few things in mind to actually enjoy the experience:
- Watch it as a Tonal Study: Don't expect a cohesive story. Watch it to see how two completely different genres (erotic drama and slapstick) can be forced together with zero success. It’s a masterclass in what not to do with tone.
- Look for the Garry Marshall Staples: If you’re a fan of Marshall’s other work (The Princess Diaries, Runaway Bride), try to find the "Marshall-isms." The focus on heart and quirky supporting characters is there, it’s just buried under a lot of latex.
- Read the Book First: To truly understand why the movie is so bizarre, read Anne Rice’s original novel. Seeing the source material makes the film’s choices seem even more unhinged.
- Check Out the Soundtrack: Believe it or not, the soundtrack has some gems, including tracks by k.d. lang and Robert Palmer. It’s arguably the most "normal" part of the entire production.
The cast of Exit to Eden remains one of the strangest ensembles ever put on screen. It’s a reminder that in the 90s, studios were willing to take massive, weird risks with big stars. Sometimes those risks gave us Pulp Fiction. Sometimes they gave us Dan Aykroyd in a leather harness. That's the gamble of Hollywood.
To see the trajectory of these actors, compare their work in 1994 to their work in 1996. You can almost see the collective pivot away from "experimental" comedy back toward safer, more established genres. It was a learning moment for everyone involved.
Next Steps for Research:
If you want to dive deeper into the history of failed 90s adaptations, look into the production notes of Exit to Eden on the American Film Institute (AFI) catalog. You can also find archived interviews with Rosie O'Donnell on YouTube where she discusses her "regret" over the film, providing a more personal look at the chaotic filming process. For those interested in the Anne Rice connection, her official website often lists her thoughts on the various adaptations of her work—though she tends to stay quiet about this one for obvious reasons.