Where original Power Rangers are now as Jason David Frank dies – from tragic car crash to ‘multi-million fraud scandal’
WITH its epic battles and cool characters, Power Rangers was a huge hit with kids in the Nineties.
Yesterday fans were devastated after it was reported Jason David Frank had died aged 49, reportedly from suicide.
The actor, 49, played Tommy Oliver – the Green and later, the White Power Ranger, and many flocked to social media to pay their respects.
Jason bagged the part after unsuccessfully auditioning for the Red Power Ranger role.
He appeared in multiple spin-offs for the show including Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers Wild Force, Power Rangers Dino Thunder and Power Rangers Super Megaforce.
Jason excelled in martial arts – he was an eighth Dan in Shotokan Karate and had black belts in taekwondo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Judo.
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In 2009 he signed up as an MMA fighter and in one match beat his opponent while dressed as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.
Jason continued to star in films up until his death.
As fans reflect on the iconic show, we recap what happened to the rest of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers cast.
Austin St John
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The youngest member of the cast, Austin St John – real name Jason Lawrence Geiger – played the original Red Ranger, Jason Lee Scott.
The martial artist, renowned for his taekwondo, judo, and Kenpo skills, left after the show’s second season amid a reported pay dispute in 1994.
Eight years later he appeared in Power Rangers Wild Force and made several other TV show cameos. He also spent over a decade working as a paramedic.
In May this year, the actor was arrested and charged as part of a $3.5million (£2.9m) Covid loan fraud scheme, investigated by the FBI.
St John, 48, was one of 18 people named in a federal indictment, charged with violations of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in Texas.
According to the document, St John allegedly conspired in a scheme to create businesses or use existing ones to submit applications fraudulently to the Small Business Administration to get Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding.
Prosecutors claimed the actor and his co-defendants paid ringleaders of the scheme and spent cash on personal purchases.
The US government set up the Paycheck Protection Program to support small businesses and their workers during the pandemic.
If found guilty, St John could face up to 20 years imprisonment.
Thuy Trang
Vietnamese-born actress Thuy Trang fled her homeland at just six to move to Hong Kong before relocating to the US one year later.
She beat 500 actresses to play the Yellow Power Ranger, which was her first major gig, but left the show – like several other stars – due to contract disputes.
In 1996 Thuy starred in the James Bond parody Spy Hard and played the villain in The Crow: City Of Angels.
Five years later, aged 27, she tragically died while being airlifted to hospital following a car crash.
Driver Angela Rockwood, who Thuy was due to be a bridesmaid for, lost control of the vehicle before it hit a rockface and flipped several times.
On the show’s 25th anniversary, St John reflected on the “brother-and-sister” relationship he had with the late actress, telling Entertainment Weekly: “Wearing nothing but spandex, we were all cold. We used to hold each other just to stay warm and chat in between shooting scenes.”
Amy Jo Johnson
Amy Jo Johnson, 52, played Kimberly Hart, the Pink Power Ranger, and starred in an impressive 138 episodes between 1993 and 1995.
She handed over the role to Catherine Sutherland ahead of the final season but returned for one last appearance two years later in the film Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie.
After Amy’s stint on the much-loved program, her TV career highlights included Saved By The Bell: The New Class, Felicity, Flashpoint and Covert Affairs.
She also directed and appeared in the films The Space Between and Tammy’s Always Dying – in addition to releasing three music albums.
Walter Emanuel Jones
Walter Emanuel Jones was best known playing Zach Taylor – the original Black Power Ranger – before leaving the show alongside Austin St John and Thuy Trang.
Years later, in 1999, he returned to the franchise during the Lost Galaxy season, where he played the voice of Hexuba’s Nightmare Monster.
Walter also starred in the wrestling movie Backyard Dogs and voiced characters in Open Season 2 and the 2013 computer science animated film Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2.
The actor, now 51, also had guest roles in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Sabrina The Teenager Witch and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
David Yost
David Yost played Billy Cranston, the Blue Power Ranger, and was the only cast member to appear in every episode of the original series.
He also appeared in Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers and Power Rangers Zeo before leaving the franchise.
In 2010, David claimed his departure was due to being bullied. He elaborated on the remarks while appearing on the No Pink Spandex podcast.
He said: “I just felt like I was continually being told I was not worthy of being where I am because I’m a gay person. And I’m not supposed to be an actor. And I’m not a superhero.”
The 53-year-old has continued to act but has also worked as a producer for TV shows including Alien Hunter, Temptation Island and The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills.
In 2019 he appeared in the comedy Life After Power Rangers and two years later, returned to the superhero fold when he voiced a villain in Power Rangers: Rise Of The Ninja.
David J. Fielding
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David J. Fielding was the original face and voice of Zordon, the giant floating head that guided the Power Rangers on their missions to save the world.
Since then he’s predominantly worked as a voiceover artist – mainly for video games including Zeus: Master Of Olympus and Empire Earth.