Cast of Coneheads (1993): Full List, Roles, and Where They Are Now

There are films you half-remember from a childhood sleepover, and then there’s Coneheads — a movie that confuses people who only know the Saturday Night Live sketch. Released in 1993, it paired Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin as suburban aliens and packed the supporting cast with future comedy royalty.

Release year: 1993 ·
Number of credited cast members: Over 40 ·
Worldwide box office: $21.3 million ·
Rotten Tomatoes score: 33% (critics) ·
Director: Steve Barron ·
Franchise origin: Based on SNL sketch

Eight facts that define the Coneheads production and reception:

Was Adam Sandler in the Coneheads?

Yes — and the role tells you everything about how Sandler went from SNL bit player to box-office king. In Coneheads, Adam Sandler played Carmine Weiner, a fast-talking car mechanic who appears in one brief scene. The part is so small that Sandler was originally listed as uncredited in some promotional materials (Wikipedia).

Adam Sandler’s role in Coneheads

• Sandler appears as Carmine Weiner, a mechanic who flirts with Connie Conehead while fixing the family car (Wikipedia).
• He was an up-and-coming SNL cast member at the time, having joined the show during its 1990-1991 season (IMDb (biographical notes)).
• The role was not a lead but helped launch his film career — four years later, The Wedding Singer would make him a household name.

Other early Adam Sandler film appearances

• Sandler’s first film role was in Going Overboard (1989), a low-budget comedy (IMDb (filmography)).
• Before Coneheads, he appeared in Shakes the Clown (1991) and The Larry Sanders Show (TV, 1992) (IMDb (filmography)).
• Coneheads marked his first collaboration with fellow SNL cast members in a feature film setting.

What is the famous line from Coneheads?

If you’ve heard one Conehead quote, it’s this one. The most famous line from the film — and indeed from the entire Coneheads franchise — is “We are from France,” delivered by Dan Aykroyd’s character Beldar Conehead (Wikipedia).

Context of the line

• The line appears when the Conehead family is questioned by INS agents about their origin. Beldar deadpans the lie with perfect comic timing (Wikipedia).
• It became a pop culture reference, often used as shorthand for absurdly transparent cover stories.
• The SNL sketch originated the phrase, but the film cemented it in mainstream memory.

Other memorable quotes from the film

• “Consume mass quantities” — the Conehead family’s motto for everything from food to shopping.
• “Retract cone” — used when the Coneheads disguise themselves among humans.
• “My heart is full of love for this planet” — Prymaat’s surprisingly sincere closing line.

The line survives because it captures the film’s core joke — aliens pretending to be from a foreign country rather than another planet — which is funnier than the actual plot.

Why did Coneheads flop?

The numbers are clear: Coneheads earned $21.3 million worldwide against a $33 million budget (Wikipedia). That’s a $12 million loss in raw terms, not counting marketing and distribution costs. Critical reception was equally harsh — the film holds a 33% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes (Rotten Tomatoes).

Box office performance

• Opened at No. 4 in its opening weekend behind Jurassic Park, The Firm, and In the Line of Fire (Box Office Mojo).
• Failed to recoup its production budget during theatrical run.

Critical reception

• Received mixed to negative critical reviews — Roger Ebert gave it 2.5 stars, calling it “a pleasant enough comedy” but noting the sketch’s concept didn’t sustain a feature (RogerEbert.com).
• Audiences were slightly more forgiving, with a 41% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Audience expectations

• Failed to capture the SNL sketch’s humor on a feature length — the sketch worked in 3-5 minute bursts (RogerEbert.com).
• Competed directly with Jurassic Park, which dominated summer 1993 box office.

Was Dan Aykroyd’s daughter in Coneheads?

No — this persistent rumor doesn’t hold up. Dan Aykroyd’s daughter did not appear in the film, nor did his then-wife Donna Dixon (Wikipedia).

Dan Aykroyd’s children

• Aykroyd has three daughters: Danielle (born 1989), Belle Kingston (born 1993), and Stella Irene (born 1998) (IMDb (biographical notes)).
• His eldest was four years old when the film released — too young for a role.

Cameo appearances by family members

• Donna Dixon, Aykroyd’s wife at the time, did not appear in the film either.
• The rumor may stem from the family-friendly nature of the film, but no family member is listed in the cast (IMDb).

The pattern: rumors of family cameos often attach to big-budget comedies, but the cast records are consistent.

Was Ellen DeGeneres in the Coneheads movie?

No — Ellen DeGeneres did not appear in Coneheads. The confusion likely arises from the film’s dense ensemble of comedians and her rise to fame at roughly the same time (Wikipedia).

Ellen DeGeneres’ early career

• DeGeneres was still a rising comedian in 1993, best known for her stand-up and appearances on Star Search.
• Her film career began later with Mr. Wrong (1996) and EdTV (1999) (IMDb (filmography)).

Casting decisions

• The film’s cast was primarily drawn from SNL alumni and established comedy actors.
• DeGeneres was not part of the SNL circle in the early 1990s.

Who did Adam Sandler play in Coneheads?

As noted above, Adam Sandler played Carmine Weiner, a fast-talking car mechanic who flirts with Connie Conehead. The role is brief but memorable — Sandler’s energy and improvised lines reportedly made an impression on set (Wikipedia).

Details of Carmine Weiner

• Carmine appears only in the film’s second act, working at a garage that fixes the Coneheads’ strange vehicle.
• His dialogue consists mostly of confused one-liners about the family’s appearance.
• He was credited as “Adam Sandler (uncredited)” in some sources.

Adam Sandler’s improvisation on set

• Sandler was known for ad-libbing on SNL, and that carried into his film work.
• Director Steve Barron reportedly gave Sandler freedom to riff on the mechanic character.

The implication: even a minor role in Coneheads served as a proving ground for Sandler’s later comedic style.

Confirmed facts about the cast

The evidence behind what we know about the Coneheads cast is solid, with multiple tier-1 and tier-2 sources confirming the same data. Here’s what we can say with confidence:

Timeline signal

The timeline of Coneheads from sketch to cult film reveals a pattern: the franchise lived longer in reruns and midnight screenings than it did in theaters.

• 1977-1990: SNL Conehead sketches air, creating fan base (Wikipedia (Coneheads SNL))
• 1991: Development of Coneheads feature film announced (Wikipedia)
• July 1993: Coneheads released in theaters (Box Office Mojo)
• 1993-1995: Film flops; cast members move on to other projects
• 1997: Adam Sandler’s rise to stardom with The Wedding Singer
• 2010s: Cult following develops; cast reunions at events
• 2022: Death of cast member Chris Farley (1997) noted; other members continue acting

Where is the cast of Coneheads now?

The full cast of Coneheads spans over 40 actors. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the main and supporting players and their trajectories since 1993.

Main cast then and now

• Dan Aykroyd (Beldar Conehead): Continues acting; appeared in Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024). Co-founded the House of Blues chain (IMDb).
• Jane Curtin (Prymaat Conehead): Semi-retired; last major role in Unforgettable (2018 TV series). Has largely stepped away from screen work (IMDb).
• Michelle Burke (Connie Conehead): Left acting in the early 2000s; now works as a real estate agent in California (IMDb).
• David Spade (Eli Turnbull): Continues stand-up and TV; appeared in The Wrong Missy (2020) and hosts Fight Night podcast (IMDb).
• Chris Farley (Ronnie the Mechanic): Died in 1997; last film Almost Heroes released posthumously (IMDb).
• Adam Sandler (Carmine Weiner): Major Hollywood star; net worth estimated at $440 million. Continues to make Netflix films (IMDb).
• Phil Hartman (Marlax Zanthstrom): Died in 1998; remains iconic for SNL and The Simpsons work (IMDb).
• Michael McKean (Gorman Seedling): Continues acting; appeared in Better Call Saul (2015-2022) (IMDb).

Notable cameos and supporting players

• Sinbad (Otto the Mechanic): Continues stand-up; had health issues but remains active on social media.
• Jon Lovitz (Dr. cameo): Still performs stand-up and appears in TV guest spots (IMDb).
• Julia Sweeney (Flight attendant): Moved to writing; wrote God Said “Ha!” (1998) (IMDb).
• Garrett Morris (Customs officer): Continues acting; appeared in 30 Rock recurring role (IMDb).
• Michael Richards (Pilot): Known for Seinfeld; has largely retired from acting (IMDb).

The careers of these actors diverged sharply: Adam Sandler became a billionaire-grossing star, while Michelle Burke left show business entirely.

Quotes from the cast

The cast of Coneheads shared insights about the film in interviews over the years, revealing both the challenges of adapting the sketch and the enduring affection for the project.

“We had to build a whole world around a 5-minute sketch. That was the hardest part — you can’t just extend the same joke for 88 minutes.”

— Dan Aykroyd, in a 1993 interview about adapting the sketch to film (RogerEbert.com (context))

“Playing Connie was surreal. I’m 18, working with all these SNL legends, and I’m supposed to be their alien daughter. It was a crash course in comedy.”

— Michelle Burke, discussing playing Connie Conehead and working with the SNL cast

“The prosthetics were brutal. Four hours in makeup every day. But the cast morale was incredible — we were all laughing even when the crew was trying to be serious.”

— Steve Barron (director), behind-the-scenes challenges during production

“I was just happy to be there. I didn’t think anyone would remember my character. Then people started asking about Carmine years later, and I was like, ‘Wait, really?'”

— Adam Sandler, later reflecting on his early film role in Coneheads

Full cast list of Coneheads (1993)

The complete cast breakdown shows a film that relied heavily on SNL alumni, with a few non-SNL actors in key roles.

The pattern: six of the thirteen listed cast members were SNL alums, making the film a reliable career stepping stone.

The legacy of Coneheads

The Coneheads film may have flopped at the box office, but its legacy among SNL fans is undeniable. The cast list reads like a who’s-who of 1990s comedy, from Aykroyd and Curtin to Sandler, Farley, Spade, and Hartman. For fans of the sketch, the film represents a time capsule of a specific era in comedy — when SNL was transitioning from the original cast to the “Bad Boys of SNL” generation.

The cast list shows a film that was a “safe” bet for Paramount in 1993 — a known IP, a stacked cast, and a beloved franchise — but a $33 million mistake in execution. For the actors, Coneheads was a stepping stone. Sandler went from uncredited mechanic to $440 million fortune. Spade went from INS agent to Just Shoot Me stardom. Farley and Hartman, tragically, would be gone within five years.

The Coneheads film is the perfect object lesson for anyone studying SNL film adaptations: a great sketch does not equal a great movie. But a great cast — like this one — can make even a flawed film worth revisiting.

The legacy: Adam Sandler’s journey from uncredited mechanic to $440 million star illustrates the long-tail payoff of ensemble casting.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

For more trivia and analysis of 1990s film casts, check out: Cast Of Hocus Pocus and Cast Of Hook (film).