Jason David Frank, original green and white 'Power Ranger' dies at 49, rep confirms

HOUSTON – Jason David Frank, the original green and white ranger from the original “Power Rangers” series has died, he was 49.

Justine Hunt, Frank’s manager, said in a statement to the Associated Press Sunday that Frank passed away. She did not name the cause of death or say when he died, but asked for “privacy of his family and friends during this horrible time as we come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful human being.”

Better known for his role as “Tommy Oliver,” in the 90s-era “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” series, he also starred in the 1995 movie of the same name, and “Turbo, the Power Rangers Movie,” according to IMDb.

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 it. “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 Morphin Power Rangers,” about five teenagers deputized 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 first seen as a villain, brainwashed by the evil Rita Repulsa. But soon after, he was inducted in the group as the Green Ranger and became one of the most popular characters on the show.

Though his role wasn’t intended to be permanent, Frank was later brought back as the White Ranger and the leader of the team. Across spinoff TV series, Frank’s Tommy Oliver returned as other rangers, as well, including Red Zeo Ranger, the Red Turbo Ranger and the Black Dino Ranger. He also played him in the films “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie” and “Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie,” and made a cameo in the 2017 reboot “Power Rangers.”

Frank, who lived in the Houston area, owned a martial arts academy, Rising Sun Karate Academy with locations in Humble and Pearland. He was inducted to the World Karate Union Hall of Fame in the 90s, becoming one of the most highly respected and accomplished martial artists.

He also made guest appearances in several comic book meetups throughout the Houston area and at Comicpalooza in 2017.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.