Jason David Frank, original Power Rangers star, dies at 49

Jason David Frank, the actor and mixed martial artist beloved for his role as one of the original Power Rangers, has died at the age of 49.

Frank's representative, Justine Hunt, confirmed the news to EW. "Please respect the privacy of his family and friends during this horrible time as we come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful human being," Hunt said in a statement. "He loved his family, friends, and fans very much. He will be truly missed."

Details surrounding Frank's cause of death are not available at this time.

Amanda Edwards/Getty Jason David Frank

Frank was best known for his role as Tommy Oliver, the antagonistic Green Ranger in the original 1993 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series. Initially set for a limited episode arc, Frank became such a fan favorite that he was ultimately brought back as the reformed White Ranger, new leader of the team for the remainder of the three seasons.

"They brought me in [during the 17th episode of the first season]," Frank recalled to EW while commemorating the 25th anniversary of the series in 2018. "I was told when I was hired, 'Don't get excited. You're here for 10 episodes, your character dies off on the show.' I said, 'Hey, I'm happy to do one episode.'"

"When I first got to set," Frank said, "the first thing I did was lay out my costume on the chair and took pictures. Then, I saw the mouth [on the helmet] didn't move. I was like, 'Man, I probably don't even have lines in this episode.' But I did and I just did the best I could, and more opportunities just kept opening for me."

Everett Collection 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' cast

Frank would go on to reprise his role in several Power Rangers adaptations, including Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Power Rangers DinoThunder, and Power Rangers HyperForce.

"I've heard everything: 'You were my father figure.' 'My parents used to fight all the time, and the only thing that calmed my anxiety down was watching Power Rangers.' 'Hey, I named my baby after you,'" Frank said of the show's enduring legacy. "The show was campy, it was fun, it was colors, it was karate, but at the end of the day it had a ton of heart and was teaching teamwork."

Walter Emanuel Jones, who starred opposite Frank as Zack/Black Ranger in the series, mourned the loss of his costar on Instagram Sunday. "My heart is sad to have lost another member of our special family," he wrote, referring to costar and Trini/Yellow Ranger star Thuy Trang, who died in 2001 following a car accident.

Frank is survived by his four children.

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