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Power Rangers Actor Jason David Frank Passes Away at 49 (Updated)

Warning: this article contains statements about a possible suicide. If you or anyone you know is suicidal or having suicidal thoughts, please reach out to a suicide prevention organization in your country. In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 1-800-273-8255. In Japan, the TELL LifeLine service is available at 03-5774-0992, and an English counseling service is available at 03-4550-1146. In Canada, Crisis Services Canada is available at 1-833-456-4566.

Power Rangers star Jason David Frank has passed away. Entertainment news source Deadline reported that their sources indicate Frank died by suicide. He was 49.

Update: Tammie Frank, widow of Frank, confirmed on November 30 that the cause of death was suicide. The two had initially planned to separate, but at the time of Frank's passing, they had called off the separation and were in the process of reuniting. She stated that he had struggled with mental health issues and depression before, but she was shocked by his death.

Frank is perhaps best known for his role in the Power Rangers franchise as Tommy Oliver and the character's alter ego the Green Ranger and White Ranger. He debuted in the first series in 1993, and also played the character in the 1995 and 1997 films. He reprised the role as cameos in various later Power Rangers series, as well as a regular cast member in Power Rangers Dino Thunder in 2004. He played a different cameo role in the 2017 Power Rangers film.

Frank was also a mixed martial artist, and competed for a time from 2009 to 2010.

Photo by Super Festivals, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license.

Thanks to Bluebaron for the news tip.

Update: Updated with cause of death. Source: Deadline (Nancy Tartaglione)

Source: Deadline (Bruce Haring)