Jason David Frank, ‘Power Rangers’ star and MMA fighter dead at 49
Jason David Frank, a professional fighter best known for his role as Tommy Oliver aka The Green Ranger on ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ has passed away. The result of the death is believed to be suicide. He was 49.
Debuting in 1993, ‘Power Rangers’ took the world by storm. If you grew up in the 90s, chances are you were one of the millions to tune in every week to see the adventures of Jason, Zack, Billy, Kimberly, and Trini. During the series’ first season, Jason David Frank was introduced as the Green Ranger, an evil version of the titular heroes tasked with destroying Angel Grove’s greatest defenders. By the end of the five-part ‘Green with Evil’ miniseries, the Green Ranger had changed his ways, officially joining the original five from then on.
Jason David Frank would go on to portray the Green Ranger and then later on the White Ranger for another three seasons totaling 123 episodes. He was also the star of ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Move’ released in 1995.
Jason David Frank Was a Lifelong Martial Artist
While JDF will always be best known for defeating the repeated attacks of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd on a weekly basis, the Texas native was a legitimate martial artist. Studying Taekwondo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Judo, Muay Thai, and many other styles, JDF parlayed everything he learned into his own art form called Toso Kune Do. In 2003, he was inducted into the World Karate Union Hall of Fame.
In 2010, Jason David Frank entered the world of mixed martial arts, competing as an amateur primarily in his home state. In four amateur bouts, he scored four first-round finishes, two via knockout and two by way of submission. That same year JDF would have his first and only professional MMA bout for Texas Cage Fighting in Houston. He earned another first-round submission defeating Jose Roberto Vasquez in 46-seconds.
JDF’s representative Justin Hunt released a statement to TMZ. “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. He loved his family, friends, and fans very much. He will truly be missed.”
Walter Jones who played the character Zack alongside Jason David Frank on ‘MMPR’ released a statement following the heartbreaking news.
“He was an inspiration to so many people,” Jones said. His presence will be dearly missed. It’s so sad to lose another member of our Ranger family.
“Jason was one of the biggest pranksters on the show. He had a wild sense of humor. We had our shares of ups and downs but I stayed consistent about being an ear if he needed one. My prayers go out to his family and all that will miss him.”
If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
