Jason David Frank, an actor and mixed martial artist best known for his role as Tommy Oliver in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, has died at age 49, as first reported by TMZ (via Gizmodo). Fellow Power Rangers stars Walter Jones and Blake Foster have since confirmed his death on Instagram.
Born on September 4th, 1973, Frank originally starred as the Green Ranger in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which ran from 1993 to 1996, before swapping to the White Ranger in the show’s second season. His role as Tommy Oliver spans numerous Power Ranger spinoffs, including Wild Force, Turbo, Zeo, Dino Thunder, Megaforce, and HyperForce. In 2017, Frank reprised his role in the Power Rangers reboot before making a final appearance in episode 10 of Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel one year later.
Frank’s legacy stretches beyond the Power Rangers franchise, though. He made his UFC debut in 2010, and, more recently, made a cameo in the Cartoon Network series We Bare Bears as the “Silver Bear,” a role paying homage to his Power Ranger past. In 2020, Frank launched a Kickstarter campaign for his film Legend of the White Dragon. The film is currently in production and is expected to premiere next year.
