Jason David Frank Dead at 49: ‘Power Rangers’ Legend’s Death Confirmed

Jason David Frank, the actor behind the iconic Power Rangers character Tommy Oliver, has died. After a wave of rumors that surfaced on Twitter Saturday night, Frank’s death was confirmed on Sunday by TMZ. The cause of death is reported to be suicide. He was 49.

“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,” Justine Hunt, Frank’s representative, told TMZ. “He loved his family, friends and fans very much. He will truly be missed.”

Frank became familiar to children of the ’90s for his portrayal of Tommy in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the Fox Kids series heavily based on Japan’s Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Tommy was an enemy turned ally for the Power Rangers who take the mantle of the Green Ranger. Later in the series, he would become the White Ranger, as also seen in 1995’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie.

Frank reprised the role through different iterations of Power Rangers over the years. Oliver would become Zeo Ranger V Red in Power Rangers Zeo, the Red Turbo Ranger in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie and Power Rangers Turbo, and the Black Dino Ranger in Power Rangers Dino Thunder. We would even appear as an evil version of the character known as Lord Drakkon in Power Rangers Hyperforce, the video game Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid and promotional materials for Boom Studios’ Powers Rangers comic. 

Outside of the Tommy Oliver character, Frank he had a cameo as an unnamed character in the 2017 Power Rangers movie. He also had voice roles in We Bare Bears, Transformers: Titans Return, and Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe. He also was a mainstay at comic conventions around the world in recent years due to his highly regarded position in the Power Rangers fandom. Outside of acting, he was also a trained martial artist, with an undefeated record in amateur and professional MMA fights. 

Frank was a father of four children (two sons named Hunter and Jacob and two daughters named Skye and Jenna). He and his wife Tammie were in the process of divorcing at the time of his passing.