‘Power Rangers’ Star Jason David Frank Dies at 49
Jason David Frank, an MMA athlete and a star of the Power Rangers franchise, has died. The actor was 49 years old.
TMZ reported the news on Sunday, November 20, with confirmation from Justine Hunt, Frank’s representative, who said he died in Texas.
“Please respect the privacy of his family and friends during this horrible time as we come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful human being,” Hunt added. “He loved his family, friends and fans very much. He will truly be missed.”
Sources with direct knowledge of the situation, meanwhile, told the TMZ that Frank died by suicide.
Mike Bronzoulis, Frank’s trainer and friend, also announced Frank’s death on Sunday. “RIP my brother from another mother Jason David Frank,” Bronzoulis wrote on Facebook. “I’m still in shock. I’m feeling terrible. He called left me a message and I took too long. Jason was a good friend to me, and I will miss him. Love [and prayers for his wife, Tammie, and their kids. I [pray] that God gets y’all through this difficult time.”
Frank was an original cast member of the 1993 series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the first entry in the Power Rangers franchise, in which he played Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger, and later the White Ranger. Over the next two and a half decades, he played Tommy in the movies Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie and in the TV series Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers Wild Force, Power Rangers DinoThunder, Power Rangers Megaforce, Power Rangers HyperForce, and Power Rangers Ninja Steel. His last official appearance as the character came in the 2019 video game Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid. Frank also had a cameo in the 2017 film reboot Power Rangers.
Walter E. Jones, who played Black Ranger Zack Taylor in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, mourned his costar in an Instagram post on Sunday. “Can’t believe it,” Jones wrote. “RIP Jason David Frank. My heart is sad to have lost another member of our special family.” (Their costar Thuy Tran, who played Yellow Ranger Trini Kwan, died in a car accident in 2001 at age 27.)
Also, Johnny Yong Bosch, who played Black Ranger Adam Park in the show, canceled a planned appearance at the Anime NYC convention on Sunday.
If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in this article, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s toll-free number, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or call, text, or chat 988.
