RIP David Jason Frank (1973-2022)

It was very sad news to learn about the passing of David Jason Frank. An actor and martial artists across many disciplines, he was undoubtedly best known from the original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers series. In fact, he was initially signed up for a recurring role across 14 episodes, but was brought back due to his huge popularity among fans, which is evident to this day. Tommy Oliver (the Green Ranger) remains a favourite among fans, young and old, and the outpour of support and sympathy was very striking.

David had also appeared in the many franchise spin-off series such as Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo and Power Rangers DinoThunder. He was a passionate martial artist across multiple styles including shōtōkan karate, taekwondo, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay thai, wing chun, jeet kune do and aikido. He would also test himself and competed as an amateur and even earned his pro card in mixed martial arts. For fans of a certain age, myself included, Power Rangers is a major staple of our childhood, and David formed a big part of that, also treating his celebrity and the fandom it brought with humility and respect.

Martial arts filmmaker and original Life of Action alumni Isaac Florentine (Undisputed II & III, Ninja: Shadow of a Tear), posted this tribute on Facebook, "We worked together from the first season of Power Rangers, I was lucky to direct Jason for almost a decade in so many episodes. He was funny, a hard worker and packed with endless energy."

New Zealand stunt coordinator Steve McQuillan (The Gunman, 6 Days) also said, “I had the pleasure of working with Jason on Power Rangers DinoThunder and he was such a professional, his fighting skill was very impressive (…) our hearts go out to your family and friends.”

As new audiences discover the Power Rangers and go back to those influential original series, David’s work will continue to inspire.

Here are WatchMojo's top 10 moments of Jason David Frank as Tommy in Power Rangers