Remembering Jason David Frank as a 90s kid

Last Updated on: 21st November 2022, 01:31 am

As many of you will have heard, today we received the tragic news that Jason David Frank has passed away. Most will remember JDF as playing Tommy Oliver in the Power Rangers franchise, going on to portray the Green and White Mighty Morphin’, Red Zeo, Red Turbo, and Black Dino Thunder Rangers.

Jason David Frank has become synonymous with Power Rangers due to his extensive inclusion in the franchise and is arguably the most popular actor in the show’s history.

His tragic passing has hit hard for millions of fans that grew up watching the show. Today I have felt like I have been walking a step slower, and the world just feels a bit sadder without JDF in it.

Celebrity deaths often suck for us fans as we reflect on the joy that they have brought us throughout our lives and mourn that period coming to an end, as well as the fact we will never see more work from them in the future.

But something about the passing of Jason David Frank just hits differently. It feels like a part of our childhood innocence has been taken away; we lost a hero and an icon.

Being born in 1990, I was at the perfect age of 3-4 when Power Rangers took over the world in 1993/4 and became an instant smash-hit with millions of children across the world as a group of teenagers battled evil monsters with colorful costumes, awesome weapons, and cool robots called Zords.

I was instantly gripped by Power Rangers and would watch every episode when they first broadcast, then recorded them onto VHS, and watch them over and over again. Like many of you reading, I had many of the toys, including the action figures of the Rangers, monsters, Zords, the weapons, and just about anything I could get my hands on that had the Power Rangers logo stuck to it.

Feathers are probably going to get ruffled with my next statement…I don’t really like superheroes. I will play some of the games, I’ve seen a couple of movies, but they’re not my thing. The Power Rangers were my superheroes.

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Although not part of the original Power Rangers cast, Jason David Frank’s character Tommy Oliver first made an appearance part way through season 1 as the evil Green Ranger after being put under a spell by Rita.

I have to admit, the Green With Evil episodes scared me so much as a kid; Jason really could portray a bad guy extremely well. Even as an adult, I get a flashback to being a kid, and they still make me on edge.

Tommy’s popularity grew instantly, and he became a regular part of the cast, even becoming the first person to become a second Ranger when he became the White Ranger in season 2.

From then until 1997, he was a fixture in the team, later portraying the Red Zeo and Red Turbo Rangers in their respective seasons.

Despite leaving the show during Power Rangers Turbo, Tommy would make appearances throughout other seasons of the show, later becoming the Black Dino Thunder Ranger.

Even though he wasn’t a regular cast member, being a Power Ranger continued to be a large part of Jason’s identity as he portrayed the characters in fan-made projects and was a fixture at conventions across the United States and other parts of the world.

After almost three decades as a Power Ranger, Jason David Frank officially announced earlier this year that he was retiring as a Ranger and wouldn’t be involved in any future projects relating to Power Rangers, with his last appearance being a cameo in the 2017 Power Rangers movie reboot.

Instead, JDF put all of his energy into a new movie titled “Lord of the White Dragon,” which is scheduled to be released in 2023 and will be Jason David Frank’s last film project.

The news of his retirement came as a shock to many of us as a 2023 reboot of Power Rangers has been announced and is currently in production, with many classic Rangers, including Billy, Zack, Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and Kat being involved, it seemed natural that Tommy would be included too.

I grew out of Power Rangers during Turbo, which coincided with Tommy leaving; it just didn’t feel the same anymore as the original cast members started being replaced. I did regain my love for the show as I became an adult, and Jason David Frank was one of the first people I ever followed on social media.

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Rewatching the original three seasons of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers on Netflix again, I gained a new respect for both Jason David Frank and Tommy as I watched with adult eyes, understanding more of the story and the character development seen throughout the show.

Tommy could always be seen trying to do good in the world, helping out those who may need it, whether it is a kid wanting to learn karate or just doing good deeds in Angel Grove. I think the kindness the Rangers showed and the incredibly diverse cast certainly rubbed off on many of us subconsciously to make us better humans as we grew up.

As a recently new father, I am excited for the day that I can show my son Power Rangers, and I hope he grows to love the show as much as I did as a kid. Although, it is just an excuse to be able to buy all of the toys again.

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Part of me regrets never reaching out to JDF and letting him know how much he meant to me and how much his character helped shape me growing up. Being an introvert does have its downsides, but I think I will change that now and let the people I admire know how much they mean to me. JDF’s tragic passing has shown that you never know when that opportunity to thank them will be taken away.

I always find it difficult to wrap these sorts of posts up because I have likely missed out many of the thoughts that I have had throughout the day as I reflected on JDF as a man, his life, the struggles he dealt with, and what he meant to me.

So Rangers, I will leave you with the chorus of one of the most iconic Power Rangers songs as we mourn the loss of Jason David Frank. A great actor, father, husband, and friend, as well as a hero to millions of us. We will miss you.

“And we keep dreaming of a world
Where all is good so we were told
We need a hero
And we keep dreaming of a time
When good is all that we can find
We need a hero!”

Rest in peace, Jason David Frank, may the power protect you always.