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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zoe Delaney

Where the original Power Rangers are now - sexuality struggle, pay rows and tragic deaths

It’s 'morphin’ time' once again as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once and Always dropped on Netflix today, 30 years on from the world first meeting the five "teenagers with attitude" who were selected by Zordon to team up in a fight against evil sorceress Rita Repulsa.

The original series ran from 1993 to 1995 and spawned big-screen adaptations and multiple spin-off features - with the most recent reboot starring Elizabeth Banks and Saturday Night Live alumni Bill Hader premiering in 2017.

As fans of a certain age log into their Netflix accounts today to stream the reunion special and enjoy a dose of nostalgia, we take a look at what the original world-saving teenagers have been up to since Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers first made their TV debut.

David Yost - Blue Ranger

The Blue Ranger actor struggled with his sexuality and heartbreakingly even attempted 'conversion therapy' (Getty Images)

Original Blue Ranger David Yost continued playing Billy in both the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Power Rangers Zeo features but left the franchise in 1996 and took a step back from acting.

He went on to focus his attention on becoming a producer and worked on TV shows including Temptation Island and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Speaking in a 2010 interview at Anime Festival Orlando, David shared he is gay and went on to explain how he previously felt he needed to hide his sexuality in order to succeed in Hollywood.

"I just wanted to be an actor, and in the 90s you didn’t admit you were gay, because if you did, you weren’t going to be a working actor per se. It was really important for me to try to protect that as much as possible," the original Blue Ranger told NBC OUT in 2016.

David's co-stars were quizzed about his sexuality during his time on the show (Saban International Services)

David continued to recall how speculation about his sexuality began during his time working on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and producers questioned his co-stars about his personal life.

"It became very frustrating because I didn’t want to be gay, and to have all these people saying things about me, it was very detrimental to my mental health and started to take a toll on me to the point that I became suicidal while I was on the show," he recalled in 2015.

David heartbreakingly underwent gay-to-straight 'conversion therapy', which he said drove him to a nervous breakdown, before eventually coming out.

Austin St. John - Red Ranger

Red Ranger Austin St. John starred as Jason Lee Scott for two seasons of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers but left the popular series in 1994 over a pay dispute.

He eventually returned to the franchise and reprised his role as the leader of the teenage heroes for the movie Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie and the shows Power Rangers Zeo and Wild Force.

The dad-of-three eventually moved away from the world of acting in favour of teaching marital arts around the world and obtaining a degree in sports science from Concordia University.

In May 2022, Austin was charged with filing fraudulent applications to obtain loans from the U.S. government's CARES Act funds, earmarked for companies struggling to pay employees during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was placed on probation following the incident.

Austin posing with fellow original Rangers at a film premiere in 2017 (Getty Images)

Amy Jo Johnson - Pink Ranger

Original Pink Ranger actress Amy Jo Johnson played Kimberly Hart for almost three seasons of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and appeared in the first movie, but won't be making a cameo in the Netflix reunion feature.

Despite being a star attraction at many fan conventions and remaining close to her Power Rangers co-stars, Amy confirmed last year she wouldn't be taking part in the 30th anniversary special.

She told her fans on Twitter : "For the record I never said no… I just didn't say yes to what was offered, but other fun stuff is in-store! Looking forward to watching my friends kick ass! #PowerRangers30."

Amy was the the first actress to rock the pink jumpsuit (Saban Entertainment)
The actress, pictured here in 2019, won't be appearing in the Netflix special (Getty Images)

After Amy called time on her stint as Kimberly, Catherine Sutherland took over as the second Pink Ranger, Kat Hillard, on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Away from the Power Rangers franchise Amy pursued a music career, releasing three studio albums, and went on to star in films including Susie Q, Tiger Eyes and Coming Home for Christmas.

The actress also popped up on TV shows like ER, Wildfire, Flashpoint and Covert Affairs and from 1998 to 2002 she played Julie on Felicity.

Walter Emanuel Jones - Black Ranger

The original Black Ranger actor also quit the TV series over a pay row (Getty Images)

Walter Emanuel Jones made his debut in the Power Rangers franchise as the original Black Ranger, Zack Taylor but later appeared as a villain in Power Rangers Lost Galaxy and voiced a role in Power Rangers Wild Force.

Like Red Ranger actor Austin, Walter quit the TV series after two seasons over a pay dispute and was replaced by Johnny Yong Bosch, who continued the role of Zack in the show and the two movies.

Walter has been no stranger to the small screen over the years, appearing in popular shows like Space Cases, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Moesha, NYPD Blue and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.

His film credits include Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, Star Trek: Captain Pike and House Party.

Thuy Trang - Yellow Ranger

Thuy Trang was the first actress to portray Yellow Ranger Trini Kwan on screen but left after just one season due to a contract dispute. She was replaced by Aisha Campbell.

After her departure from the Power Rangers world, Thuy enjoyed a role in the movie Spy Hard and The Crow: City of Angels but her career was sadly fairly short due to her untimely death at the age of 27.

On September 3, 2001, the Vietnam-born actress was in a car driving from San Jose, California, to L.A. with two pals, including model Angela Rockwood, when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a mountainside.

Thuy suffered internal injuries, and passed away in a helicopter while travelling to hospital.

One month on from the original Yellow Ranger star's death, an episode of Power Rangers Time Force was dedicated in memory of Thuy.

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers defined TV for a generation of fans (AFP via Getty Images)

Jason David Frank - Green Ranger

Jason David Frank not only stuck around for for all three seasons of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers but took on the role of two Rangers.

The Texas native was originally only scheduled to appear in a few episodes as Green Ranger Tommy but was ultimately brought back to portray the White Ranger in later installments.

Jason continued his stint in the franchise with appearances in Power Rangers Zeo, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie and Power Rangers Dino Thunder.

The actor, pictured here in 2020, sadly passed away last year (GC Images)

Away from Power Rangers, Jason popped up on shows like Family Matters, Sweet Valley High and Undressed and pursued a career as a MMA fighter.

Sadly, the actor's personal life was plagued by tragedy.

Jason's step-daughter Shayla from his marriage to his second wife Tammie sadly died suddenly in 2021 - something his widow recalls as wrecking their family emotionally.

One year on from Shayla's death, Jason died by suicide at age 49 in November 2022.

The late actor's wife paid tribute to the Power Rangers star following his sad passing (INSTAGRAM)

"All we want is to remember Jason and our happiest memories and move on from the pain of losing a loved one. I only ask for sympathy and understanding during this difficult time," Jason's wife Tammie shared with PEOPLE shortly after his death.

"To all the fans and supporters of Jason and our family, thank you for your kind words and wishes and God bless you all."

* If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch

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