Mighty Morphin Power Rangers stars now – Tragic death, nervous breakdown and wage row

Thuy Trang was one of the original stars of hit TV series Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, before her tragic early death at the age of 27 years old.

The star, who died in a car accident 21 years ago today on September 3, 2001, delighted fans as the Yellow Ranger in one of the biggest children’s TV series of all-time.

Together with her co-stars, Power Rangers became a worldwide phenomenon that is still as popular as ever today – with generations of viewers still enjoying the adventures of the teenage superheroes.

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On the anniversary of Thuy’s death, Daily Star looks at where the cast of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers are now.

Austin St John (Jason)

There have been many Red Rangers in the past, but undoubtedly, the original will always be Austin St John as Jason.

He was the youngest member of the cast too, making his debut at just 19 years old when the series started in 1993.

However, Austin and his fellow co-stars Thuy Trang (Trini) and Walter Jones (Zack) left after just one and half seasons, with reports alleging that there was a dispute over pay.

Entertainment Weekly reported that “most of the cast say nonunion pay was a major factor in their departures.”

Austin’s role of the Red Ranger was passed onto Steve Cardenas.

Despite this, he returned to the franchise in 1996 as the Gold Ranger in Power Rangers Zeo, and also made a cameo as Jason in the 1997 film Power Rangers Turbo.

Austin later moved out of the limelight and made a career u-turn, working for the emergency services as a firefighter and paramedic, as well as teaching martial arts and entering the army.

However, it was his co-star Walter Jones that encouraged him back into the spotlight, after asking him to attend one of the many famous comic cons across the world – which Austin continues to do today.

He told Entertainment Weekly: “He goes, ‘Dude, they grew up. They’re showing it to their children. Their parents who watched it with them come with them. We have three generations of fans now.’ It blew my mind.”

Austin has also recently appeared in films including Monsters at Large and A Walk With Grace.

It was also reported in May 2022 that the actor had been arrested and is one of 18 people named in a federal indictment, charged with violations of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in Texas.

A statement was posted on the St. John’s Instagram account following the reports, stating: “Austin St. John is a father, husband, role model and friend to many.

“The indictment detailed today is populated by a multitude of individuals – the majority of which Austin has no knowledge of, and has never met or interacted with. It is our understanding that Austin put his faith, reputation, and finances in the hands of third parties whose goals were self-centered and ultimately manipulated and betrayed his trust.

“We expect Austin’s legal team to successfully defend against these charges and lead to his ultimate exoneration. We ask that you respect the privacy of Austin’s family in light of this serious situation, and thank you for your support.”

Away from the limelight, Austin tends to keep his personal life private, but it is known that he has three children.

Walter Jones (Zack)

Walter Jones starred as Zack, the Black Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers for over one year between 1993 to 1994.

That’s not all, as many fans may not know that he also lent his voice to some of the monsters that he and his onscreen Power Rangers fought in the series.

He left the show after one and half series in 1994, alongside cast members Austin St John and Thuy Trang, when his role of the Black Ranger was passed onto Johnny Young Bosch.

From there he has not left our TV screens, appearing in Buffy The Vampire Slater, NYPD Blue and The Shield, along with lending his voice to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and the video game Red Dead Redemption.

He also made a guest appearance in the Andy Samberg music mockumentary Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, and most recently Boomerang and Memoirs of a Fighter.

Walter is also listed in a number of films currently in post-production and reunited with Power Rangers co-stars including Jason David Frank for film The Order.

Outside of acting, Walter is married to his partner Lisa Jones.

Amy Jo Johnson (Kimberley)

Amy Jo Johnson displayed her impressive real life gymnastic skills when she took on the role of Kimberley the Pink Ranger, after moving from professional gymnastic competitions into acting.

Along with appearing in the 1995 Power Rangers film, she starred in the series until the same year, when her role was passed onto Catherine Sutherland as new Pink Ranger Cat.

However, she reunited with co-star Austin St John for a cameo appearance as Kimberley in the film Power Rangers Turbo.

From there Amy has worked both in front and behind the camera, appearing in TV series including Felicity, ER and Spin City, aswell as writing and producing the 2017 film The Space Inbetween.

Most recently she’s starred in The Has Been as Jordanna and Hayley Price in Covert Affairs.

The star is also a talented singer and has released three studio albums, including The Trans-American Treatment, Imperfect and Never Broken, as well as performing with the Amy Jo Johnson band.

She also loves to share videos of what she’s written on Instagram, and recently posted a snapshot of her singing her new song whilst playing the guitar.

She captioned the post: “The Sunlight Remains #workinprogress #newsong.”

Away from the limelight, Amy was married to Olivier Giner from 2009 to 2017, with who she has one daughter called Francesca.

David Yost (Billy)

David Yost played Blue Ranger Billy Cranston in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and became the longest serving cast member of the original series.

He appeared in over 200 episodes, including the series transition to Power Rangers Zeo, and the hit 1995 Power Rangers film.

However, David has opened up about receiving homophobic abuse on set behind the scenes and revealed that his character was written out of the show, after he walked off set following the comments.

David also said that he suffered a nervous breakdown after the show, saying to Out In Perth: “After my nervous breakdown it took me years to be comfortable and really be open about myself.

“It wasn’t an overnight process and it took a long time to be happy and comfortable.”

He added that although he suffered abuse behind the scenes, he is still proud to have been part of the show, adding: “I’m a part of a show that has become iconic over the last 25 years and I want the fans of the show to really focus on all the positive things that they got out of the show, and not on the stuff that goes on behind the scenes.

“So I speak about it but I’m not walking around upset and angry. As a person I’m more comfortable talking about my sexuality and to talk about what happened to me.”

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he also said that fans regularly reach out to him to thank him for inspiring them.

The star said that fans have become doctors and scientists because of his character, explaining: “I have one fan that’s a paleontologist, which I find fascinating, all because of Billy.”

He added: “Every day I get messages from gay people around the world that tell me, “Thank you for coming out and sharing your story because your story helped me come out.

“I’m able to share your story with my family and help them understand what you went through is what I’m going through. And so, thank you.’ It’s amazing.”

David is also a campaigner for NOH8, which promotes and advocates for LGBTQ+ equality.

He has also continued to work in front and behind the cameras, appearing in 2017 film The Order, as well as working as a producer on TV shows including Alien Hunter, The Real Housewives Of Beverley Hills and Temptation Island, and attending Comic Cons.

David is also co-owner of Affirmative Clothing, which designs Power Rangers inspired outfits and is named after one of Billy’s catchphrases.

Thuy Trang (Trini)

Thuy Trang made her acting debut in TV adverts, before landing her most famous role as Trini, the Yellow Ranger.

She appeared on the show between 1993 to 1994, before leaving at the same time as Austin St John and Walter Jones, when the role of Yellow Ranger was passed onto Karen Ashley.

From there, Thuy appeared in films such as The Crow: City Of Angels and Spy Hard.

However, Thuy sadly died in a car accident in 2001, when the driver lost control of the car after striking gravel that was loose on the road, causing the car to flip several times and hit two rockfaces.

Thuy suffered internal injuries and died while being airlifted to the hospital on September 3, 2001 at the age of 27 years old.

Her Power Rangers co-stars Amy Jo Johnson, Austin St John, David Yost and Walter Jones attended her funeral and have since paid tribute to her in a 25th anniversary celebration feature.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Austin St John said: “We were really good friends. I was so proud of the work she was doing in films like The Crow!

“It hurt my heart to lose her. She was way too young and had so much more to share with the world,” added Walter Jones.

“I remember how sweet Thuy was to people. She especially had a way with kids. Her energy drew you in, and her smile made your heart feel safe.”

Jason David Frank (Tommy)

Jason David Frank has become one of the Power Rangers biggest legends, after making his debut as Tommy the Green Ranger.

After originally auditioning for the role of the Red Ranger, he played the Green and White Rangers in the series, and has since appeared in more Power Rangers shows than any other original cast member.

These include appearances in Power Rangers Zeo and Turbo as the Red Ranger, the Black Ranger in Dino Thunder and in both the 1995 and 1997 Power Rangers films, along with cameos in Wild Force and Megaforce.

A talented martial arts expert both on and off screen, Jason has become a black belt in karate and continues to showcase his impressive skills on his Instagram page.

He also regularly appears at Comic Conventions throughout the world, meeting generations of Power Rangers fans.

In his personal life, Jason has been married twice – first to Shawna Frank from 1994 to 2001, and then to Tammie Frank from 2003.

The star also has four children called Jenna, Skye, Jacob and Hunter.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk