Jason David Frank, an actor, and mixed martial artist passed away at age 49. Frank gained stardom in the 1990s for his portrayal as Tommy Oliver, the original Green Ranger, on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Oliver would become one of the most popular characters in the Power Rangers franchise, appearing in films, multiple television programs, and numerous computer games.
Tommy subsequently became the commander of the Power Rangers, taking the identities of the White Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the Red Ranger in both Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo as a result of the Green Ranger’s popularity.
Tommy returned in Power Rangers Wild Force for the fan-favorite “Forever Red” episode and served as the Black Ranger for an extended period in Power Rangers Dino Thunder. Jason David Frank last portrayed Tommy Oliver on television in Power Rangers: Super Ninja Steel. His final video game appearance was in the 2019 release of the fighting game Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid.
Jason’s Cause of Death
According to sources, Jason David Frank passed away in Texas on November 20 at the age of 49. According to sources, Frank committed suicide. Additional information has not been disclosed at the time of writing. Frank leaves behind four children.
Frank was most well-known for his role as Tommy Oliver in the Power Rangers franchise, but he also appeared on Family Matters, Sweet Valley High, and Unsolved Mysteries. Frank’s MMA career was equally noteworthy, as he went unbeaten with four amateur wins, one professional win, and zero defeats.
The majority of Frank’s video game appearances were in Power Rangers games. In addition to Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, Frank also portrayed Tommy Oliver in the video game adaptations of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie and Power Rangers Dino Thunder (2004). Frank’s only video game credit outside of Power Rangers is for the interactive film Piper.
Who is Jason David Frank?
Frank was born on September 4, 1973, in Covina, California. In 1993, he joined the cast of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers about a third of the way through the first season in the role of Tommy Oliver/the Green Ranger. The Green Ranger was originally presented as a villain, with Rita Repulsa brainwashing Tommy into attacking the Power Rangers. Eventually, though, Rita’s spell was broken, and Tommy joined the gang of heroes.
Originally, Frank was only planned to appear in a short number of episodes as Tommy Oliver on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, with the character effectively being written off when the Green Ranger’s powers were destroyed. Frank even moved on to the television pilot Cybertron, which would become VR Troopers in the end.
However, the character of Tommy proved so popular with Power Rangers fans that the powers-that-be were compelled to bring Frank back. As a result, Tommy Oliver became the White Ranger.
Frank continued to play Tommy Oliver for many years following his tenure as the Green Ranger and the White Ranger, with the character also becoming the Red Zeo Ranger, the Red Turbo Ranger, and the Black Dino Ranger. He even portrayed Lord Drakkon, an alternate-reality version of Tommy Oliver, in a live-action trailer for the Power Rangers: Shattered Grid comic book series published by BOOM! Studios.
Frank has appeared in 257 episodes of the various incarnations of the Power Rangers television program, making him the actor who has appeared in most episodes. Frank appears in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers Wild Force, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers Megaforce, and Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel between 1996 and 2018.
Frank also portrayed Tommy Oliver in two theatrically released feature films: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) and Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997). In the 2017 Power Rangers reboot film, he also made a cameo appearance as an unknown Angel Grove citizen.
Angel Grove is the Power Rangers’ hometown. In 2020, Frank began production on Legend of the White Dragon, a fan film inspired by Power Rangers. Unquestionably, he has left an indelible impression on the franchise’s multitude of generational supporters.