'Power Rangers' star Jason David Frank dies aged 49

A cause of death was not officially confirmed

FILE - Jason David Frank attends the premiere of "Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia" during the 2020 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 26, 2020, in Park City, Utah. Frank, who played the Green Power RangeShow more

Jason David Frank, who played the Green Power Ranger Tommy Oliver on the 1990s children's series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, has died. He was 49.

Justine Hunt, Frank's manager, announced his death on Sunday. 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”.

Walter Emanuel 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 deputised to save Earth from evil, made its debut on Fox in 1993 and went on to become a pop-culture phenomenon. Early in the first season, Frank's Oliver was first seen as a villain, brainwashed by the evil Rita Repulsa. But soon after, he was inducted into 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 spin-off TV series, Frank's Oliver returned along with other rangers, 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.

A practitioner of martial arts, Frank fought in several Mixed Martial Arts bouts in 2009 and 2010.

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

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

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