Jason David Frank (September 4, 1973 – November 19, 2022) was an American actor and martial artist. He was known for his role as

Tommy Oliver Dr. Tommy Oliver is a fictional character and the overarching main protagonist of the American live-action television franchise ''Power Rangers''. He is best known as being the original Green Ranger and the first evil Ranger who fought and near ...

in ''

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ''Mighty Power Rangers'' (''MMPR'') is a superhero television series that premiered on August 28, 1993, on the Fox Kids programming block. It is the first entry of the ''Power Rangers'' franchise, and became a 1990s pop culture phenomenon alon ...

'' and other ''

Power Rangers ''Power Rangers'' is an entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live-action superhero television series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise '' Super Sentai''. Produced first by Saban Entertainment, second by BVS ...

'' series.

Early life

Frank was born in

Covina, California Covina is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley. The population was 51,268 according to the 2020 census, up from 47,796 at the 2010 census. The city's slogan, " ...

on September 4, 1973.

Career

''Power Rangers''

Frank was cast in the role of

, the Green Ranger. The role was set for 14 episodes, but due to the popularity of the character he was brought back as the White Ranger and the new leader of the team. Frank was supposed to be the lead character Adam Steele in '' VR Troopers'' (originally called ''Cybertron'') and shot a pilot episode before being called back to ''

''. According to both Frank and Brad Hawkins, Hawkins' character was to replace Tommy Oliver originally as the White Ranger on ''Power Rangers''. However, due to Tommy Oliver's popularity with ''Power Rangers'' fans, Frank was brought back, with Tommy Oliver becoming the White Ranger. Hawkins would take over on ''VR Troopers''. The character Adam Steele was renamed Ryan Steele. After three seasons, ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'' transitioned into '' Power Rangers Zeo''. The transition is part of the annual Ranger suit change to match the annual change of the ''

Super Sentai is a Japanese superhero team metaseries and media franchise consisting of television series and films produced by Toei Company, and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi (" Sentai" is the Japanese word for "task force" or "fighting squadron"). The ...

'' series. Frank's character became the Red Zeo Ranger (also called Zeo Ranger V). The following year in '' Power Rangers Turbo'', his character became the first Red Turbo Ranger. During mid-season, Frank and fellow cast members

Johnny Yong Bosch Johnny Yong Bosch (born January 6, 1976) is an American actor, musician, singer, and martial artist. His first major role was the portrayal of Adam Park, the second Black Power Ranger and later, the Green Zeo Ranger and first Green Turbo Ranger i ...

, Nakia Burrise and Catherine Sutherland agreed to leave and were replaced. After he left the series in 1997, Frank came back to ''Power Rangers'' as the Red Zeo Ranger in 2002 for the special 10th-anniversary episode, entitled " Forever Red", in '' Power Rangers Wild Force'', which brought back ten former Red Rangers, and reunited him with Austin St. John. He then reprised his role in 2004 in '' Power Rangers Dino Thunder'', as the Black Dino Ranger. During this time, Frank was always shown in long-sleeved shirts to cover the tattoos on his arms. This was also the case during "Forever Red" of ''Wild Force''. Being the Black Dino Ranger was a favor to Douglas Sloan. He joked that

Saban Saban or Šaban may refer to: People * Saban (name), for people with the name * Sabans, a small indigenous ethnic group of Sarawak, Malaysia * Şaban, a Turkish film character Other uses *Saban Capital Group, a private investment firm investing i ...

and Disney are "both the same, they're cheap" but that he was impressed with the production crew for ''Dino Thunder''. Frank reprised his role as Tommy Oliver (who in turn was the Green Ranger for the episode) in the season finale of '' Power Rangers Super Megaforce''. Frank expressed interest in developing a Green Ranger solo series or feature film after an encounter with

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which w ...

at a comic book convention. Frank had a cameo role in the 2017 film ''

'', as a citizen of Angel Grove, alongside fellow ''Power Rangers'' actress Amy Jo Johnson. In 2018, he reprised his role as Tommy in episode 10 of ''

Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel ''Power Rangers Ninja Steel'' is the twenty-fourth season of the television program ''Power Rangers''. The season was produced primarily using footage, costumes, and props from Japanese 39th Super Sentai series '' Shuriken Sentai Ninninger'' w ...

'' for the 25th anniversary of ''Power Rangers''. In August 2022, Frank revealed that he had retired from the franchise.

''Bat in the Sun: Super Power Beatdown''

On November 7, 2013, Frank appeared on ''Super Power Beatdown'' as the White Ranger taking on

Scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always endi ...

from '' Mortal Kombat''. He appeared again on May 5, 2015, as the Green Ranger and fought Ryu from ''

Street Fighter , commonly abbreviated as ''SF'' or スト (''Suto''), is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Capcom. The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by six ...

''. After success with the ''Super Power Beatdown'' series, Bat in the Sun began developing a web reality series of Frank titled ''My Morphing Life''. In 2015, the show began airing season 2.

''New Era – Legend of the White Dragon''

The film ''Legend of the White Dragon'' launched on

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, K ...

in 2020. Initially it was going to be a mini-series or fan film. With the popularity and excitement, it grew into a full-feature film. The film includes past ''Power Rangers'' performers such as Frank, Jason Faunt, and

Ciara Hanna Ciara Chantel Hanna is an American actress and model. She is known for playing the roles of Gia Moran in ''Power Rangers Megaforce'' and Nicole Parker in '' Blood Lake: Attack of the Killer Lampreys''. Early life Hann ...

. Other cast members include Mark Dacascos, Michael Madsen,

Andrew Byron Bachelor Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derived ...

, and Jenna Frank. The movie wrapped in 2021. It is currently in post-production and set to release in 2023; in view of Frank's death (see below) in 2022, there has been talk of dedicating the film to his memory.

Fighting and martial arts

With his knowledge of many different styles of martial arts that include Shōtōkan,

Wadō-ryū is one of the four major karate styles and was founded by Hironori Ōtsuka (1892–1982). The style itself places emphasis on not only striking, but ''tai sabaki'', joint locks and throws. It has its origins within Tomari-te karate, but was als ...

Taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. ...

Judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo") ...

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting ( ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterise ...

Wing Chun Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春 or 咏春, lit. "singing spring"), sometimes spelled Ving Tsun, is a concept-based fighting art, form of Southern Chinese kung fu and close-quarters system of self-defense. In Mandarin, it is pronounced "Yong Chun. ...

Jeet Kune Do Jeet Kune Do is a primarily wing chun kung fu inspired eclectic martial arts philosophy heavily influenced and adapted by the Taoist personal life philosophy and experiences of martial artist Bruce Lee. Overview and philosophy Jeet Kune D ...

, and

Aikido Aikido ( , , , ) is a modern Japanese martial art that is split into many different styles, including Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Aikikai and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practiced in a ...

, Frank collected the most practical applications, modified them with his own philosophies and created his own blend of American Karate, "Toso Kune Do" (translation: "Way of the Fist-Fighter"). On June 28, 2003, he was inducted into the World Karate Union Hall of Fame. Frank appeared at the

Arnold Classic The IFBB Arnold Sports Festival, also known as the Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival, is an annual multi-sport event consisting of professional bodybuilding (''Arnold Classic''), strongman ('' Arnold Strongman Classic''), fitness, figure ...

on February 29, 2008, in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...

. Frank was temporarily a Guinness World Record holder in January 2013, as he successfully broke the existing record for the most 1 inch pine boards broken during freefall. The previous record was only two boards broken, but Frank attempted to break eight and successfully broke seven in his record breaking attempt. His record was eclipsed only a few months later in May 2013 by current Guinness World Record holder Ernie Torres, who broke twelve boards during his attempt.

Mixed martial arts

On August 21, 2009, Frank officially announced his signing with SuckerPunch Entertainment, a sports marketing and management company specializing in MMA. He began training with UFC

lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight b ...

Melvin Guillard. Frank made his much anticipated MMA debut for the United States Amateur Combat Association at the company's first event "Lonestar Beatdown: Houston" on January 30, 2010, at the Houston Arena Theatre. He defeated Jonathon "the Mack Truck" Mack in the first round by omoplata submission. Frank fought in his second fight at Lonestar Beatdown: Dallas on February 19 in Arlington, Texas. His opponent was Chris Rose who made his ring entrance wearing a ''

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' is an American media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Leonardo, Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Miche ...

'' robe. Frank defeated Rose in round 1 by TKO (strikes). On May 8, 2010, he fought for the Texas Rage in the Cage Amateur Association "Cage Rage 7" in State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas. His opponent was James Willis. Frank defeated Willis via KO in 23 seconds of the first round with a rising knee. Frank was scheduled to make his debut with Ultimate Warrior Challenge at their upcoming event on May 22 against James "Ray" Handy Jr. in a light heavyweight bout. On May 21, Frank had announced on his official Facebook fan page that James Handy was injured and Carlos Horn would replace him, changing the fight to a heavyweight bout. Frank defeated Horn in the first round by an armbar submission. Since turning pro, Frank expressed interest in signing a deal with Strikeforce and potentially fighting

Herschel Walker Herschel Junior Walker (born March 3, 1962) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He was also the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia. ...

. Frank announced on his Facebook fan page that he would be scheduled to make his professional debut on August 4, 2010, in Houston at "Puro Combate #1." He fought at heavyweight, with his opponent being Jose Roberto Vasquez. Frank won his pro MMA debut quickly at the time of 0:46 in the first round by a Rear Naked Choke Submission. Frank was scheduled for a Light heavyweight bout on December 9, 2010, at Puro Combate 3. The fight was canceled on December 8 due to his opponent not being medically cleared. He was then scheduled to face Shawn Machado on July 22, 2011, at Legacy FC 7. However, due to a possible biceps tear the fight was cancelled.

Personal life

Frank was Christian, and said he began attending church after the death of his brother. He married his first wife, Shawna, in 1994 and the couple had two sons and a daughter. They divorced in 2001. In 2003, he married his second wife, Tammie, and the couple had one daughter. In 2022, Tammie filed for divorce. At the time of his death, they had begun to reconcile. In 2017, he was targeted by a man named Matthew Sterling while attending

Phoenix Comicon Phoenix Fan Fusion (formerly Phoenix Comicon and Phoenix Comic Fest) is a speculative fiction entertainment and comic book convention held annually in Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded as the Phoenix Cactus Comicon in June 2002, and originally ...

. Police were able to arrest Sterling before he got near Frank, after being tipped off due to social media threats made by Sterling. Sterling was later committed to 25 and a half years at the Arizona State Hospital.

Death

Frank died in Texas on November 19, 2022, at the age of 49. The cause of death was

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

. Frank was laid to rest in Forest Lawn – Covina Hills in his hometown of

alongside his brother and mother.

Filmography

Television

Film

Video games

Mixed martial arts record

Professional

, - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Jose Roberto Vasquez , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Texas Cage Fighting – Puro Combate 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:46 , Houston, Texas, United States , , -

Amateur

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McAllen, Texas McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States, and the 22nd-most populous city in Texas. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Mexico–United States border. The city limits exte ...

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Fairfax, Virginia The City of Fairfax ( ), colloquially known as Fairfax City, Downtown Fairfax, Old Town Fairfax, Fairfax Courthouse, FFX, or simply Fairfax, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. At the 2010 census the p ...

, United States ,

References

External links