The upcoming Spaceballs sequel seems to be bringing back every cast member from the original movie that can be reached without the aid of a Ouija Board.
A soon-to-be-99-year-old Mel Brooks is reportedly reprising the role of Yogurt. Rick Moranis will, somewhat shockingly, be back as Dark Helmet. And Lone Starr himself, Bill Pullman, will once again be measuring his Schwartz size against the forces of evil.
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But what about the character of “Trooper”? While the name may not ring a bell, he may get the biggest laugh in the entire film. When Dark Helmet is literally combing the desert in search of the escaped heroes, he’s the Spaceball who memorably shouts, “We ain’t found shit!”
The actor behind that famous line was none other than Tim Russ, who would eventually go on to star in another beloved outer-space adventure; Russ played Tuvok the Vulcan in Star Trek: Voyager. He got way more screen time in Voyager than in Spaceballs, but far fewer laughs.
After the recent teaser for Spaceballs 2 dropped online, Russ posted on social media that he “may be combing the desert again.” Since Russ’ name hasn’t been mentioned in any casting announcements, presumably he’s just signaling that he’s available to return for the follow-up.
When he first filmed the scene, Russ obviously had no idea that it would eventually become an iconic comedy moment. In a 2017 interview, he admitted that the line was so brief and seemingly unimportant, he worried that it would be cut out of the movie “for time.”
During a 2023 appearance on The 7th Rule podcast, Russ still seemed somewhat shocked at the scene’s enduring popularity. “It was two days worth of work for me in 1986,” the actor explained. “It was a paycheck and some work. And then 25, 30 years later, people can’t get enough of it! I only had four words! That’s all I said. I’m on Voyager for seven years, but most people only remember from that.”
Russ previously poked fun at his Spaceballs fame in an online video in which he listed some of his other accomplishments while combing a rock garden. “I’ve been acting for 35 years,” Russ mused. “135 credits on IMDb. I was on a long running series — you might remember it, Star Trek? But all I’m known for is combing the desert and saying, ‘We ain’t found shit.’”
Sure, the role was a minor one. But if Spaceballs continues to take its cues from the Star Wars franchise, Russ’ character could easily get his own comic book, toy line and big budget streaming series. Trooper: A Spaceballs Story does have a nice ring to it.
