ABOUT THE CAST

DANA DELANY (Lisa Emerson) is perhaps best known for her role as Army nurse Colleen McMurphy on ABC-TV's critically acclaimed series, China Beach, for which she received four Emmy nominations and two Emmy Awards for Best Actress.

Delany segued directly into "Exit to Eden" immediately following her role in the 1993 Hollywood Pictures release "Tombstone" with Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer and has just completed Republic Pictures' "Live Nude Girls." Delany has also appeared in the films "Housesitter" with Steve Martin, "Light Sleeper" starring Willem Dafoe, "Moon Over Parador," "Masquerade," "Patty Hearst," "Where the River Runs Black" and "Almost You."

Born in Connecticut, Delany attended Wesleyan University where she majored in theater. Upon heading to New York to pursue her professional acting career, Delany honed her skills starring in the Broadway show "A Life" and received critical acclaim appearing off-Broadway. She headed west in 1985 to reprise her memorable role as a rape victim in the stage production of Nicholas Kazan's "Bloodmoon."

On television, Delany starred in Wild Palms, the 1993 ABC Television six hour summer mini-series executive produced by Oliver Stone. She also starred in the CBS tele-film Donato and Daughter opposite Charles Bronson.

PAUL MERCURIO (Elliot Slater) gained international recognition in 1993 for his starring role as Scott Hastings in the independent Australian sleeper hit "Strictly Ballroom." In addition to winning rave reviews at The Cannes Film Festival for his debut feature, Mercurio also received an American Film Institute (AFI) Best Actor nomination for his outstanding performance. Directed by Baz Luhnnann, "Strictly Ballroom" has been highly acclaimed throughout the world and is the highest grossing Australian film in the country's history.

Prior to his film debut, Mercurio danced professionally in Australia for over a decade. He grew up in Fremantle, on the west coast of Australia studying dance and drama. After deciding to pursue his career as a professional dancer, Mercurio received a full scholarship with the West Australian Ballet Company and later attended the Australian Ballet School.

From 1982-1992, he toured Australia and the world with the Sydney Dance Company establishing himself as one of Australia's most formidable dancers and choreographers. Mercurio appeared on stage in the USA on three occasions in New York, Los Angeles, Colorado, San Antonio, Palo Alto and Seattle.

In 1992, Mercurio founded his own ballet company, ACE (Australian Choreographic Ensemble) to create and showcase his work and the work of other innovative choreographers. In its first year ACE premiered two full evening dance works in Sydney and undertook a national tour of Australia with critical acclaim to sold out audiences.

Mercurio also co-founded Feet Good Films. The company's first project was a documentary entitled: "Life's Burning Desire" about the staging of Mercurio's first work for ACE and his life during the media blitz surrounding the release of "Strictly Ballroom."

In addition, Mercurio was commissioned by ABC-TV to choreograph the dance film "Envy" as part of a series entitled Seven Deadly Sins which aired this summer in Australia. Mercurio is currently filming the independent Australian feature "Back From Beyond" and has several film other projects in development both at home in Australia and here in the U.S.

He is married to his wife of six years and has two children.

IMAN (Nina) is perhaps best known for her modeling career which lasted 16 successful years. In addition to becoming the first African American super model used in a cosmetic company's advertising campaign (Revlon's Polished Ambers), Iman also paved the way for countless other models of color to grace the runways for the fashion world's most renowned designers.

The Mogadishu, Somali bom actress got her first break in 1985 when Sydney Pollack was casting "Out of Africa." The director was searching for a male Somali actor and called Iman for assistance. Pollack became so impressed with her that he offered Iman a role in his Academy Award-Winning film. She later appeared in "No Way Out" as Sean Young's confidante, "L.A. Story," "House Party II," and in "Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country."

On television, Iman has guest starred on Miami Vice, The Cosby Show, In The Heat of the Night, Dream On, directed by John Landis, TNT's tele-film Heart of Darkness, directed by Nicholas Roeg, USA Network's tele-film Lies of Twins, in which she and Isabella Rossellini portrayed fashion models in this psychological-thriller with Aidan Quinn. She also starred in Michael Jackson's mega-hit video "Remember the Time" as his Egyptian queen love interest. The two were directed by the Oscar nominated director John Singleton.

STUART WILSON (Omar) is a British-bom actor whose impressive resume includes extensive stage, television and film performances. Included in Wilson's screen credits are: "No Escape" starring Ray Liotta, Richard Donner's "Lethal Weapon III," "Wethersby," in which he starred opposite Vanessa Redgrave, Universal's "Prisoner of Zenda," MGM/EMI's "Dulcima," "Nonni" and "Forced Move."

Wilson's tele-films include: Her Wicked Ways and Three Coins In A Fountain for CBS, Secret Weapon for TNT and NBC-TV's Romance On The Orient Express. For BBC 2, Wilson starred in Way Upstream and Wild Things, and for BBC 1 Julius Caesar, When We Are Married and The Game.

In the U.K., Wilson starred opposite Vanessa Redgrave at Queen's Theater in "The Three Sisters," "Boesman and Lena" at the Hampstead Theater and "Elizabeth I" at the Royal Court Theater.

HECTOR ELIZONDO (Martin Halifax) has appeared in all of Garry Marshall's films to date and is perhaps best known for his memorable performance in "Pretty Woman," as the hotel manager, a role which earned him a Golden Globe nomination and an American Comedy Award. In addition this fall, Elizondo will be starring in the much

Earlier this year, Elizondo appeared in "Being Human" opposite Robin Williams, "Getting Even With Dad," starring Macaulay Culkin and Ted Danson, and "Beverly Hills Cop 111" opposite Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold. Elizondo's other credits include "Necessary Roughness," "Final Approach," "There Goes The Neighborhood," "Taking Care of Business," "Samantha," "American Gigolo," "The Fan," "Leviathan" and "The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3."

On television he recently received an Emmy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role opposite Anne Bancroft in the PBS American Playhouse drama Mrs. Cage. He also starred in Scott Turow's "Burden of Proof' and the 90 minute season premiere of Tales From the Crypt.

On stage in 1993, Elizondo and Eli Wallach starred in the Broadway production of Arthur Miller's "The Price." A native New Yorker, he first gained recognition for his Obie Award winning New York stage portrayal of God in "Steambath."

ROSIE O'DONNELL (Sheila) currently stars as Rizzo in Tommy Tune's revival of the musical "Grease" on Broadway and has made an impressive introduction into the film arena. She made her big screen debut in Penny Marshall's 1992 comedy "A League of Their Own" starring opposite Tom Hanks and Geena Davis. O'Donnell went on to star in Nora Ephron's "Sleepless In Seattle" starring opposite Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, and "Another Stakeout" with Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez.

This past summer, O'Donnell stared in the summer box office smash "The Flinstones." as Betty Rubble, with John Goodman, Elizabeth Perkins and Rick Moranis.

Long established as a stand-up favorite across the country, Rosie hosted the top rated television show, "Stand Up Spotlight" on VH- I which she also executive produced.

DAN AYKROYD (Fred) has brought his brilliant comedic and dramatic style to films and television shows for nearly two decades.

In 1990 Aykroyd received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his outstanding performance in Bruce Beresford's critically acclaimed film "Driving Miss Daisy." He also earned high praise for his role as the legendary film director Mack Sennett in Sir Richard Attenborough's "Chaplin." Aykroyd has just completed filming the comedy "Getting Away with Murder" starring Jack Lemmon, Lily Tomlin and Bonnie Hunt to be released in 1995.

He has also originated and co-wrote such classic comedy features as "Ghostbusters," "Ghostbusters II," "Spies Like Us" and "Dragnet," and the 1993 comedy film "The Coneheads." Aykroyd's other film credits include "North," "Sneakers," "Trading Places," "The Couch Trip," "The Great Outdoors," "My Stepmother is an Alien," "Loose Cannons," "My Girl I & II." Aykroyd made his directorial debut with "Nothing But Trouble."

A native of Ontario, Canada, Aykroyd was a member of Second City Comedy Troupe in the early 70's. From 1975 through 1979 he was a member of NBC-TV's original cast on the hit comedy Saturday Night Live (SNL) as a member of the famed "Not Ready For Primetime Players." It was at SNL that lie met John Belushi and together they formed "The Blues Brothers" which they created and wrote into the 1980 classic comedy film directed by John Landis.

Last year Aykroyd and partner Isaac Tigrett opened "The House of Blues." They have locations in Cambridge, Massachusetts, New Orleans. and Los Angeles. The blues bar and restaurant will open a New York branch next year.