Tyler James Messner, grew up on a farm in northwest Missouri, setting of the film and also home to its director, Blake Eckard and fellow lead, Alec Jennings.
Performing in the Kansas City theater after high school, Tyler soon made the move to Los Angeles where he found a job working for Panavision. A student of the
Meisner technique, he eventually found work as an extra on such studio films as "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Collateral."
Following "Backroad Blues," Eckard cast Tyler in his next film, "Sinner Come Home," (2007), in another leading role, this time as an alcoholic with marital problems. He has since appeared in Jon Jost's most recent film, "Parable," (2008).
Tyler currently lives in Los Angeles.