Ahead of the documentary’s release on April 7, Daily Star have taken a deep dive into the lives of the Power Rangers actors which have taken a darker turn since fame
Ahead of the Power Ranger documentary’s release on April 7, we’re taking a look at some of the tragic tales from the cast of the show.
The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were branded the superheroes of the ’90s, but the cast have since been plagued with a ‘curse’ of tragedy behind the scenes.
Investigation Discovery’s latest Hollywood Demons episode, Dark Side of Power Rangers, is set to explore the cast’s chaotic lives including when a crazed fan tried to assassinate the show’s most legendary star.
Jason David Frank, who quickly became the face of the Power Rangers franchise, had an assassination attempt on his life. The actor played the original Green Ranger, before returning as the White Ranger, starring in the franchise between 1993 and 1996.
However, in 2017 he was pursued by a man named Matthew Sterling at a Phoenix Comicon.
The attacker carried multiple weapons, including body armour, pepper spray, a combat knife, a 12-gauge shot gun, two handguns, a revolver, a stun gun, and throwing stars.
There was also evidence at his home that he had practiced a kill shot. Fortunately, police arrested the man before he got anywhere near Frank.
However, a few years later in 2022, Jason took his own life age 49 after battling with demons of his own after his wife filed for divorce a few months prior.
The star’s suicide came 21 years after his brother and fellow Power Rangers star Erik Frank also took his own life when he was just 29, back in April 2001.
Erik played had David Trueheart in Power Rangers Zeo, but his own acting career didn’t rival his brothers, which caused jealousy.
Erik’s wife, Nicole Frank Ybarra, recalled her loss and said: “‘I just made breakfast. ‘He said he was going to take a nap. I said okay. And about 45 minutes later, I thought, I’m going to check on him.
“We had a big canopy bed. He passed away from hanging himself.
“I think it had a lot to do with his career. There was definitely jealousy. He was feeling not as successful as his brother.”
She added: “The last conversation with Jason that I can recollect is him coming to my parents’ home shortly after we laid Erik to rest, and he just shared with me how terrible he felt and how he wished Erik was still here…. He had a lot of guilt.”
Erik wasn’t the only Power Ranger whose life was cut short.
Thuy Trang was the inaugural actress to bring Yellow Ranger Trini Kwan to life on screen. However, she exited after just one season due to a contract disagreement, with Aisha Campbell stepping into her role.
Post-Power Rangers, Thuy landed roles in films like Spy Hard and The Crow: City of Angels. Unfortunately, her career was cut short due to her premature death at the tender age of 27.
On September 3, 2001, the Vietnam-born actress was travelling from San Jose, California, to L.A. with two friends, including model Angela Rockwood, when their car veered off course and crashed into a mountainside.
Thuy sustained internal injuries and tragically passed away en route to the hospital in a helicopter.
A month after the passing of the original Yellow Ranger star, an episode of Power Rangers Time Force was dedicated to Thuy’s memory.
Power Rangers star Ricardo Medina Junior was charged with manslaughter in 2017 after allegedly stabbing his 38-year-old roommate, Joshua Sutter, to death.
Ricardo played Cole Evans, the Red Wild Force Ranger on the TV series Power Rangers Wild Force, and returned as Deker, the half-human cursed Nighlok in Power Rangers Samurai.
Sutter had been struck with a ‘Conan the Barbarian’ sword at their home but Medina claimed it was in self defense.
In March 2017, Medina pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to the maximum six years in jail.
Though he was released on parole after serving just three years.
Sutter’s sister Rachel Kennedy spoke out in the documentary and said: “I think he truly believed that he was that Power Ranger and that’s why he killed my brother in such a fashion.
“His fans were doing fundraisers for him to send him money in jail. He’ll never be guilty in their eyes.
“It hurts because my brother wasn’t a celebrity. He was just a simple guy, and because of Ricardo’s celebrity, I feel that he really got a slap on the wrist.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
