American actor and mixed martial artist Jason David Frank passed away on November 19, 2022 (he was born on September 4, 1973).
He gained fame as a performer for his portrayal of Tommy Oliver in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and other Power Rangers television series.
Was Jason David Frank the White Ranger?
The Green Ranger, Tommy Oliver, was portrayed by Frank. 14 episodes were allotted for the part. He was brought back as the White Ranger and the new team leader due to the popularity of the character.
Before being called back to Power Rangers, Frank was meant to play the lead role of Adam Steele in VR Troopers (formerly known as “Cybertron”). He shot a pilot episode for the show.
Frank and Brad Hawkins claim that the initial plan for Hawkins’ character on Power Rangers was to take the place of Tommy Oliver as the White Ranger. Frank was reinstated, with Tommy Oliver taking over the role of the White Ranger, thanks to Tommy Oliver’s popularity among Ranger fans.
His character became the first Red Turbo Ranger in Power Rangers Turbo the following year. Frank and his co-stars Johnny Yong Bosch, Nakia Burrise, and Catherine Sutherland decided to leave the cast in the middle of the season and were replaced.
