June 2026 - Profile: Stephen Conn Finds the Extraordinary in the Background

Stephen Conn on the set of "Better Call Saul."

For many moviegoers, background performers blend into the scenery. They're the crowd in the stadium, the patrons in a restaurant, or the faces passing by on a busy city street. Rarely do audiences stop to think about the people who help create the worlds seen on screen. For New Mexico actor and writer Stephen Conn, however, background work has never been about standing in the background—it's been an opportunity to witness filmmaking from the inside while building a lifetime of unforgettable stories.

After years of appearing in film and television productions throughout New Mexico, Conn has accumulated experiences that many film enthusiasts can only dream about. From watching Academy Award winners perform just a few feet away to appearing in productions alongside some of Hollywood's biggest names, he has found that every project has reinforced his appreciation for the craft of filmmaking.

Ironically, his journey into the industry began long before he ever stepped onto a set.

"It's sort of a family history for me," Conn explained. "My great-grandfather was the ambassador in Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much, and my mother jumped out of the way of Steve McQueen's fire car in The Towering Inferno. So it's a family tradition."

That family connection eventually inspired him to pursue opportunities of his own, leading to what would become one of his earliest unforgettable experiences. "My first big one was watching Gary Oldman deliver a monologue at Spaceport America while filming The Space Between Us. That was my first exciting moment in background work."

For many performers, simply being on a film set would be enough. For Conn, each project became another opportunity to study accomplished actors and directors while quietly observing how productions come together behind the scenes.

Over the years, his résumé has grown to include an impressive list of productions filmed throughout New Mexico.

"I've watched Jeff Bridges perform with his band, worked on Only the Brave, a western with Jessica Chastain, did a couple of episodes of Better Call Saul, and I was a featured extra in the reboot of MacGruber with Will Forte."

One particular moment still makes him smile. "I'm in the prison yard scene, cheering him on," he laughed. "They got real close. After all the usual kind of boring stuff, they really closed up on me. That was quite a thrill."

While background performers often spend long days waiting between takes, they believe the reward comes from witnessing movie magic unfold in real time. Watching celebrated actors deliver memorable performances from only a few feet away has given him a unique perspective on filmmaking that audiences rarely experience.

Beyond his film work, Conn has long admired legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner. That admiration eventually led to two memorable encounters that became deeply meaningful after Reiner's passing. One occurred during a political event in Las Cruces, where Conn had the opportunity to meet the director in person. "He was very warm," Kahn recalled. "I told him I was a fan of This Is Spinal Tap, and we took a picture together."

Years later, his admiration prompted another adventure.

https://youtu.be/jQQXk-W_SJg?si=qXm4_GgpLOj4WoRU

When Spinal Tap II began filming in New Orleans, Conn boarded a bus across Texas hoping to participate as a background performer in what would ultimately become one of Reiner's final films.

"I tried to get into the last café scene in the French Quarter," he said. "Unfortunately, it was cut from the final release, but maybe it's on the DVD extras."

Although audiences may never see that appearance, the experience itself remains priceless.

Those stories highlight something Conn values most: the journey often matters as much as the destination.

Today, his creative ambitions have expanded well beyond appearing on camera.

"I'm moving more into writing," he said. "I've got a couple of comedy pilots I'm working on, and I'm trying to do a documentary about my family."

His family history continues to inspire much of that work. "My mother is descended from Russian aristocracy," he explained. "I've been thinking about writing something multigenerational, kind of inspired by what Yellowstone has done with 1883 and 1923."

Rather than focusing solely on acting opportunities, Conn has embraced storytelling in nearly every form available to him.

He continues to write film reviews on IMDb under the name BinkCon, contributes concert reviews to Record Collector magazine, and shares comedy sketches and documentaries on his YouTube channel. Writing has become another creative outlet, allowing him to remain deeply connected to the entertainment industry while developing original projects of his own.

Before concluding his interview, Kahn made sure to shine a spotlight on another passion: Southern New Mexico's growing film community. "I recommend everyone get in touch with the Las Cruces International Film Festival," he said, noting the festival's impressive lineup of guests in recent years, including Helen Hunt, Richard Dreyfuss, and screenwriter Shane Black.

For aspiring filmmakers, actors, and writers, he believes the opportunities throughout New Mexico continue to expand every year.

It's a fitting perspective from someone who has spent years proving that there is no such thing as "just" being in the background.

Whether he's watching an Oscar-winning actor deliver a scene, writing a screenplay inspired by his family's remarkable history, reviewing films, or developing new creative projects, Stephen Conn has built a career fueled by curiosity, persistence, and an undeniable love for storytelling.

Sometimes, the people standing quietly in the background are collecting the best stories of all.

To learn more about Stephen Conn, follow him on his Facebook page.