Power Rangers star Jason David Frank dies at 49

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, did not name the cause of death or say when he died, but asked for privacy “during this horrible time as we come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful human being”.

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, aged 27.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, about five teenagers deputised to save Earth from the evil, made its debut 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.

Although his role was not intended to be permanent, Frank was later brought back as the White Ranger and the leader of the team.

A practitioner of martial arts, Frank fought in several mixed martial arts bouts in 2009 and 2010.

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