Jason David Frank, who played Tommy Oliver, the original green ranger Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, has passed away. He was 49.
Justine Hunt, a rep for the actor best known for his various roles in the Power Rangers universe, confirmed his death to the Associated Press on Sunday. A cause was not specified. In a statement, Hunt requested that the privacy of Frank’s friends and family be respected “during this terrible time as we process the loss of such a wonderful human being.”
Frank’s relationship with the long-running franchise spanned nearly three decades, beginning with his debut in the 1993 TV series as the Green Ranger – a transfer student at Angel Grove High School who was brainwashed by Rita Repulsa into fighting the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers before he became the White. Ranger after being freed from her spell. His character would eventually earn a PhD in paleontology and is one of the longest-serving Power Rangers in franchise history.
In a statement on Instagram, Frank’s Power Rangers co-star Walter Emanuel Jones, shared his disbelief at the actor’s sudden passing. “I can’t believe it,” he wrote. “RIP Jason David Frank. It pains me to lose another member of our special family.”
Frank would appear in several Power Rangers shorts during the show and even a live show with the titular and beloved teen army before moving on to a guest appearance on the hit ’90s sitcom Family matters. That same year, he would play a small recurring role in the third season of Sweet valley highthe syndicated TV dramedy loosely based on Francine Pascal’s book series of the same name.
His other recent projects include the 2020 film Omniboat: A fast boat fantasywho cast Adam Devine and Cameron Esposito, and voice work on the animated Cartoon Network series We naked bears and animated web series Transformers: Titans return.
Frank, who was the last Power Rangers work included voice acting as Olivier in the Power Rangers: Battle for the Net video game, appeared in other notable franchise titles including Power Rangers Hyper Force, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers turbo. The actor, who was also a mixed martial artist, was popular on the comic book convention circuit where he regularly met fans of the franchise.
