If you were browsing the Syfy channel on a random Saturday night back in 2009, there is a very high probability you stumbled across a movie about giant, fire-breathing bugs and smugglers on a jungle planet. It was called Star Runners. It wasn't Starship Troopers, though it certainly lived in that same neighborhood of low-budget, high-concept space adventure. For a lot of people, the cast of Star Runners is one of those "hey, I know that person!" trivia puzzles that keeps them scrolling through IMDb at 2 AM.
It's a weirdly charming film. Honestly, the CGI hasn't aged like fine wine, but the chemistry between the leads is surprisingly solid. Most TV movies from that era feel like they were filmed in a weekend with whatever props were left over from a cancelled series. Star Runners felt different because the actors actually seemed to be having fun with the campy dialogue.
The Lead Smugglers: Connor Trinneer and Toni Trucks
The heartbeat of the movie is the duo of Ty and Lei. If you’re a sci-fi fan, you recognized the male lead immediately.
Connor Trinneer played Ty Johns. Before he was dodging giant insects on a remote planet, Trinneer was a household name for Star Trek fans. He played Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III on Star Trek: Enterprise. Transitioning from a massive franchise like Trek to a Syfy original movie can be a gamble, but Trinneer brought a grounded, blue-collar energy to the role of a smuggler. He didn't play Ty like a superhero. He played him like a guy who just wanted to get paid and maybe not get eaten by a "Sky-fire" creature.
Then there’s Toni Trucks as Lei Chen.
She's fantastic. You probably know her now as Lisa Davis from SEAL Team, or maybe from her time on Franklin & Bash. Back in 2009, she was still carving out her space in the industry. In Star Runners, she plays the "pro" to Ty’s more chaotic energy. Their dynamic is the classic bickering-partners-who-actually-care-about-each-other trope, but it works because Trucks has a very natural, sharp screen presence. She doesn't let the silliness of the plot—which involve "Star Runners" retrieving a mysterious crate—dull her performance.
A Support System of Familiar Faces
The cast of Star Runners isn't just a two-person show.
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Aja Evans appears as Jen. While her filmography isn't as expansive as Trinneer's, her role in the film adds to the small-unit feel of the story. The movie relies heavily on a tight-knit group trying to survive an inhospitable environment, which is a staple of director Mat King's work.
Then you have James Kyson (sometimes credited as James Kyson Lee). This was a big "get" for the movie at the time. Kyson was coming off the massive success of Heroes, where he played Ando Masahashi. Seeing him show up in a creature-feature was a treat for genre fans. He has this way of being incredibly likable on camera, which helps when you’re dealing with a script that spends a lot of time on "run for your life" sequences.
Why the Cast Worked Despite the Budget
Low-budget sci-fi lives or dies on whether the actors believe in the world.
If the actors look embarrassed to be there, the audience checks out instantly. The cast of Star Runners leaned into the grit. They treated the "Sky-fire" bugs—which were essentially giant, glowing beetles that could fly—with enough genuine fear to make the stakes feel real.
Think about the production context.
This was 2009. The "Syfy Original Movie" brand was at its peak. We were years away from the Sharknado era where everything became an intentional joke. In 2009, they were still trying to make legitimate, albeit cheap, action movies. The actors had to carry the emotional weight because the green screens certainly weren't doing the heavy lifting.
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Exploring the "Sky-fire" Threat and the Plot
Basically, the plot kicks off when Ty and Lei are hired to retrieve a crate from a planet that is literally crawling with lethal life forms. The twist? The planet is about to undergo a massive "hatching" event.
It’s a race against time.
The chemistry between the cast of Star Runners makes the downtime between action scenes actually watchable. You get the sense that Ty and Lei have a long history of bad luck and narrow escapes. Trinneer’s Southern charm—which he utilized so well in Enterprise—is on full display here. It gives the movie a Western-in-space vibe that was very popular post-Firefly.
Where Are They Now?
It’s been over a decade. The industry has changed, and so have the careers of the main players.
- Connor Trinneer: He remains a staple of the convention circuit. Beyond Star Trek, he had a great run on Stargate Atlantis as Michael Kenmore. He’s one of those actors who provides a "safe pair of hands" for any production. Recently, he's been involved in various voice acting projects and indie films.
- Toni Trucks: She is arguably the biggest breakout from the film. Her role on SEAL Team has cemented her as a powerhouse in procedural television. She’s also appeared in big-budget films like The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.
- James Kyson: He has stayed incredibly busy with voice work in AAA video games and recurring roles in shows like Lovecraft Country.
The Legacy of Star Runners
Is it a masterpiece? No.
Is it a fun slice of late-2000s cable nostalgia? Absolutely.
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The cast of Star Runners managed to elevate a relatively standard "bugs in space" script into something that people still talk about in niche sci-fi circles. It represents a specific era of television production where you could see established stars and rising talents working together on weird, experimental projects.
Most people get wrong the idea that these movies were "trash." They were training grounds. They were opportunities for actors to show they could hold an audience's attention even when the special effects were lacking. When you watch Toni Trucks or Connor Trinneer today, you’re seeing the polished versions of the skills they were honing in the trenches of movies like this.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re planning a rewatch or checking it out for the first time, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Look for the Trek Nods: If you’re a Trekkie, you’ll notice Trinneer uses some of the same physical mannerisms he used for Trip Tucker. It’s a fun "multiverse" style experience.
- Focus on the Practical Effects: While the CGI is dated, there are some decent practical sets and lighting choices that try to hide the budget constraints.
- Check the Credits: You’ll see names in the crew who went on to work on much larger genre hits.
Actionable Insights for Sci-Fi Fans
If you enjoyed the vibe of the cast of Star Runners, you should check out other "hidden gem" Syfy era films like Infestation (2009) or the Tremors TV series. These productions often featured actors who were just one or two roles away from major stardom. Tracking the career trajectories of these performers offers a fascinating look at how Hollywood's middle class survives and thrives between blockbuster hits.
Digging into the filmographies of character actors like Trinneer and Kyson reveals a wealth of genre content that often goes overlooked by mainstream critics but remains beloved by dedicated fanbases. Exploring these "B-movie" catalogs is the best way to discover the range of your favorite actors outside of their most famous franchises.