Original Green Power Ranger Jason David Frank dead, age 49

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Various sources have confirmed that original Green Power Ranger Jason David Frank has died by suicide at the age of 49.

Frank starred as Tommy Oliver, one of the famous six crime fighting heroes known as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Within the show, Oliver first entered the Rangers universe as the Green Ranger, an evil Ranger who fought and nearly defeated the original team while he was being mind controlled by an evil villain. Eventually, he broke the spell and joined the team as the White Ranger. He was seen in several spin-off series and specials as other rangers, such as Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, and Power Rangers Dino Thunder. The White Ranger was the love interest of Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart.

Frank himself had an eighth-degree black belt and brought his kills to the show in every episode. He was considered to be one of the most popular characters in the franchise. He also starred in “Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia” in 2020, “We Bare Bears,” “Family Matters,” and video games Piper, Power Rangers: Dino Thunder, Smite, and other productions.

He developed his own martial art form called “Toso Kune Do,”—inspired by greats such as Bruce Lee and Ed Parker—which teaches practitioners not just discipline and athleticism but respect for other cultures, harmony, and more. The name is translated to “the way of the fighting fist.” Frank was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame and became a Guinness World Record Holder in 2013 after breaking seven one-inch pine boards in a freefall. He also fought professionally between 2008 and 2010.

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