I’m sure that many of you, like me, who grew up in the early ’90s, watched Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers on TV. For those slightly younger, maybe you watched Zeo, Turbo, or even Power Rangers Dino Thunder. But all of those Power Rangers series shared one universal truth: Tommy Oliver, played by Jason David Frank (JDF), was a hero to us all, no matter what color spandex he wore. And for those who had the pleasure of meeting Jason, so was the actor.
Which made the sad news of his passing all the more painful. Because on November 19th, 2022, Jason David Frank lost his life to suicide. He was 49 years old.
Jason was one of the first former Power Rangers actors to truly embrace the fandom, becoming a familiar face at comic conventions. He also returned to the franchise frequently for cameos, including even a live-action commercial for the ‘Shattered Grid’ comic event, where he played the role of the comic-original Lord Drakkon (an alternate Tommy Oliver from a timeline where he didn’t turn to good). Similarly, he voiced both versions of Tommy in the Battle for the Grid video game, which adapted that story arc.
He even reprised his role for Super Power Beat Down, where he fought Street Fighter’s Ryu as the Green Ranger, and Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion as the White Ranger. Jason celebrated the legacy of the series and the role he played in it, and always appeared grateful for the role he played in so many childhoods.
He even brought that passion to the comics, where he served as a special consultant to help Kyle Higgins write “Power Rangers: Soul of the Dragon,” a comic that followed Tommy Oliver’s last fight as a Power Ranger before passing the torch and his powers on to his son.
Outside of the Power Rangers franchise, JDF showed his love for Valiant by appearing in 2018’s Ninjak vs the Valiant Universe as Bloodshot. He also appeared in the Smite video game, lending his voice to the Vapor Wave version of Poseidon, and even in the We Bare Bears cartoon as the voice of Silver Bear in an affectionate parody of Power Rangers. His final project, Legend of the White Dragon, is due out in 2023.
Not only did JDF play a skilled martial artist on TV, he was one in real life, with black belts in judo, taekwondo, and karate, and his own dojo called Rising Sun Karate, where he taught Toso Kune Do. Additionally, he had an impressive MMA record, where he proved that his martial arts prowess wasn’t just for show on children’s television. He once joked that “The guy on the other side of the cage has pressure, because if I kick his butt, he got his butt kicked by a Power Ranger.”
But more than the roles he played, or the fights he won, JDF’s biggest impact is in the lives he touched. For generations of Power Rangers fans, he was a hero. Not just for the role he played, but for the way he embraced the fandom and truly appreciated his fans. He inspired countless children, who grew up to introduce their own children to Power Rangers in turn, creating a legacy that will continue to live on even past the end of the franchise.
The passing of Jason David Frank is a tragedy to us all, not just for the death of a childhood hero, but for the loss of an amazing person who left countless friends, family, and fans behind far too soon. He fought valiantly against mental health issues for so many years, and the Ranger nation mourns his loss.
If you also struggle with mental health or suicidal ideation, please know that you are loved, and there are places to turn for help. See the CDC’s website for resources and mental health professionals.
