Jason David Frank, known as the Green Power Ranger, dies at 49

Jason David Frankrecognized for playing Tommy Oliver, the green Power Ranger, in the legendary ‘Power Rangers’ saga, He died on November 19 in Texas at the age of 49. The death was confirmed by his agent, Justine Hunt, who did not disclose further causes of his death, asking “privacy for your family and friends” at “this horrible time” where they’re hiring “the loss of a wonderful person”.

The news was confirmed to the Associated Press by Hunt. On his death, his friend Brian Butler-Au, who is also an arts manager, said it was suicide. “If you know someone who is depressed, please contact that person”he wrote on his Instagram account, in which he shared an image of him together with the late performer.

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“He loved his family, his friends and his fans very much. He will be someone who will be truly missed.”concluded his representative, Hunt, in his statement. Frank was Tommy Oliver in the iconic original drama, in which he appeared between 1993 and 1996, 124 episodes in all. Subsequently, the character of him became the White Power Ranger and the second leader of the team.

He was born on September 4, 1973 in Corvina, California. At first, The role of Frank was presented as an antagonist, as he was under the spell of Rita Repulsa, the nemesis of the Power Rangers. Although she was only scheduled to appear for a few chapters, her popularity made Frank one of the lead actors. After getting rid of the mental manipulation of him, he was made into the White Ranger, a role Frank fulfilled over the next two seasons.

“We have lost another member of our special family”

There have already been reactions to Frank’s death, like that of Walter Jones, one of his companions in the original ‘Power Rangers’ fiction. “I can’t believe it, rest in peace”wrote on social media. “My heart is broken to lose another member of our special family”He added.

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The role of Tommy Oliver was recurring in Frank’s career, as he repeated the role in both film and television. The last time was in 2018, he has also lent the voice of him to be the Ranger in different video games of the franchise. His presence in the saga has extended to participate in productions such as “Power Rangers Zeo” or “Power Rangers Turbo”. He could also be seen in “Power Rangers: Wild Force”, “Power Rangers: DinoThunder” and “Power Rangers: Ninja Steel”.

Such was his almost constant participation in the franchise, that he almost made a cameo in the failed 2017 film reboot. In addition to being an actor in the saga, he was a businessman, having owned several karate schools since 1994, where he created a new fighting system called Toso Kune Do.