Messner was born on April 11, 1970 in Syracuse, New York. He lived in Europe for 13 years while his father served in the United States Air Force, mainly in Germany and England. During this time, he developed a love for sports while playing on teams at military bases. Messner bounced between New York and Los Angeles working as a bartender until landing several key roles that catapulted him to acting professionally. He is probably best known for his work in the films Tears of the Sun, The Whole Ten Yards and Hostage, and in the TV series Guiding Light , Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Cold Case. He struggled with substance abuse well into his thirties until experimenting with plant medicine opened up his consciousness to living life instead of running from it.