Remembering Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Actor, Jason David Frank Who Died At 49 of Apparent Suicide

By Syakir Roslan  •  21 Nov 2022 in Pop Culture

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Fans of the hit TV series Power Rangers are in mourning after it was announced that Jason David Frank (pictured above), the actor who played the iconic role of ‘Tommy’ since the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, had died at the age of 49.

While no official cause of death has been released, TMZ reports that sources with direct ties to Jason’s inner circle have implied that the former Power Rangers actor died by suicide.

As a prominent figure of many people’s childhoods, let us take a look back at the life of Jason David Frank beginning first and foremost with:

The Power Rangers

Originally casted as the green ranger, Tommy, in the first Power Ranger series – Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993), fans of the show grew to love Jason’s character so much that he went on to appear in following seasons.

Jason continued portraying the role of Tommy as the show went on while switching up his ranger colour every now and then.

There was also a point where he “changed” so to speak but that was before my time and I’m not a spoiler guy for those of you who might wanna re-watch this long-running classic of a series.

Personally, as somebody born in 1998 and grew up on the Power Rangers, it wasn’t until his appearance in Dino Thunder did I even realise the magnitude of who his character was in the show’s universe.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m no super-fan who collects figurines and other memorabilia (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but I do swear on my soul (or whatever’s left of it) that I genuinely had ambitions of being a Power Ranger as a kid.

To be a protector of innocents while wearing a sick watch-like thing that allows me to transform into a spandex-wearing, robot-operating, fighting machine sounds insanely cool – especially when I phrase it like that, no?

On the topic of fighting… 

Did you know that Jason David Frank was an MMA fighter?

Yes, he didn’t just whoop ass on screen but in the octagon too.

But you know what’s more impressive? The fact that he was undefeated, despite only participating in 5 fights throughout his MMA career.

According to MMA Mania, fight fans were also shocked to hear of Jason’s passing after his friend and trainer Mike Bronzoulis shared a Facebook post stating:

Jason’s MMA record shows that 4 of the 5 fights he won were amateur bouts where he landed 2 knockouts and 2 submissions for each of those fights respectively.

He also won his only professional fight by way of submission. Guess his ranger spirit never left him while duking it out in the cage. As tough and heroic as he was on screen and in the cage, unfortunately not all battles can be won.

Especially the ones we face by ourselves…

Rest In Peace Jason David Frank

Thank you for all your hard-work entertaining generations of kids with action-packed fight sequences, beating up villainous monsters, aliens and robots while teaching us various life lessons like helping those in need and putting trust in our friends.

Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Jason David Frank.

Show em what morphin time’s all about at the pearly gates, Tommy!

* If you or someone you know is going through bouts of depression and are in need to talk to someone, feel free to contact the following numbers:

1. National Council of Befrienders Malaysia: National Council of Befrienders Malaysia offers 24-hour emotional support to people in Malaysia who are lonely, in distress, in despair or having suicidal thoughts.
   (Tel: 603-79568145)
2. Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA): Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA) provides mental health support to people in Malaysia. The line is available from 9 am to 9 pm.
   (Tel: 03-2780 6803)
3. Life Line Association Malaysia: Life Line Association Malaysia provides 24-hour telephone counseling services to people in Malaysia. The line is available from 8 am to 10 pm.
   (Tel: 016-613-1495)

Featured image found on DeviantArt.