Jason David Frank has passed away at the age of 49. The news was initially broke by his personal trainer and close friend, Mike Bronzoulis, and later corroborated by TMZ (via Frank’s representative), along with fellow Rangers actors Walter Jones and Blake Foster.
Frank, born on September 4, 1973, was best known as Tommy Oliver in the long-running Power Rangers franchise. The series was his acting debut, and he would serve as the Green (and later White) Ranger for the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series. Though he was only meant to appear for 14 episodes, he became so popular that he would continue to play Tommy in other Power Rangers seasons, Power Rangers Zeo, Turbo (Red), and Dino Thunder (Black), along with appearances in anniversary specials. He also consulted on the 2018 graphic novel Soul of the Dragon from writer Kyle Higgins and artist Giuseppe Cafaro.
Outside of Power Rangers, Frank’s filmography includes the 1990s series Sweet Valley High, an episode of Family Matters (seriously), the pilot for 1994's VR Troopers, and an episode of We Bare Bears where he played the Silver Bear, a sendup of his famous superhero role.
In 2020, Frank announced a Kickstarter for his short film, Legend of the White Dragon. It later expanded into a full feature film and features in its cast fellow Power Rangers alums Jason Faunt (Time Force), Ciara Hanna (Megaforce), along with Mark Dacascos and Frank’s daughter Jenna. The film is expected to release in 2023 and will be his final role.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water.