Former Power Rangers star Jason David Frank dies aged 49

Former Power Rangers star Jason David Frank dies aged 49
AP
Jason David Frank greets crowds in the annual DragonCon parade through downtown Atlanta. Credit: AP

Former Power Rangers star Jason David Frank has died aged 49, a representative confirmed.

Frank principally played the Green Power Ranger Tommy Oliver on the 1990s children's series “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers."

His manager, Justine Hunt, confirmed his death in a statement on Sunday.

The American actor and mixed martial artist's cause of death has not yet been publicly confirmed.  Ms Hunt didn't say when he died, but asked for privacy of his family and friends

Co-stars and fans of the Power Rangers series paid tribute to Frank as news of his death emerged on Sunday.

Walter Emmanuel Jones, the original Black Power Ranger who co-starred with Frank in “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," wrote on Instagram, that he couldn't believe the news.

“My heart is sad to have lost another member of our special family," wrote Jones.

Thuy Trang, who played the original Yellow Power Ranger, died in a car accident in 2001 at age 27.

"Mighty Morphine Power Rangers,” about five teenagers deputised to save Earth from the evil, debuted on Fox in 1993 and went on to become a pop culture phenomenon.

Early in the first season, Frank’s Tommy Oliver was inducted into the group as the Green Ranger.Frank also went on to play the White, Black and Red Rangers.

He was an accomplished martial artist, earning a black belt in codes including Karate, Judo, Taekwondo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and he also instructed in Muay Thai.

He used his vast knowledge to create his own blend of American Karate named "Toso Kune Do".

Entertainment site TMZ earlier reported that Frank's second wife, Tammie Frank, filed for divorce in August.

Frank is survived by four children, one from his marriage with Tammie Frank and three from his first marriage to Shawna Frank.


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