Then and Now: The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

In honour of International Friendship Day we got to thinking at 8ball Towers. Who really are the best friends from TV and film? I mean Wayne and Garth did know how to “party on”, the Happy Days gang were aaayyyy-ok and we all know that the Friends friends will be there for you (when the rain starts to fall) but we didn’t think that any of these groups deserved a place among the elite in the 8ball Then and Now series. Enter the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, a group of eventually six teens that saved not only Angel Grove but the world from a whole host of 90s villains and monsters. Across three series and a movie featuring the best villain our 7 year old selves had ever seen in Ivan Ooze the Rangers were easily the best of the TV and movie friends.

So to continue with our popular Then and Now series, we take a look at what the cast of the original series of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers are up to over 20 years on…

Austin St. John as Jason Scott Lee aka Red Ranger

A man that holds a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, a first degree black belt in Judo and practises Kenpo, there was no way that Austin St. John (born Jason Geiger) wasn’t going to be a Power Ranger. He left the show mid-way through the second season of the show but has since made many special guest appearances including the tenth anniversary special Forever Red. He is currently working as an EMT but will return to the acting world in an upcoming post-apocalyptic thriller called Survival’s End.

Jason David Frank as Tommy Oliver aka Green/White Ranger

The youngest of all of the rangers, Jason David Frank originally auditioned for the role of the red ranger but was offered the role of the green ranger Tommy instead. He remained on the show through multiple series changes but eventually left in 1997 after Power Rangers Turbo. He is currently an MMA fighter and was most recently seen offering himself as former WWE superstar CM Punk’s first opponent on Instagram and like David Yost is working the convention circuit.

Amy Jo Johnson as Kimberly Ann Hart aka Pink Ranger

The most successful of all of the original rangers, Amy Jo Johnson is now a successful actress and musician. After leaving the show in 1995 after three seasons of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the rangers movie Amy Jo went on to appear in multiple TV movies and had starring roles in Felicity, Flashpoint and The Division. Most recently she appeared as a regular in season 5 of Covert Affairs alongside Piper Perabo.

Walter Jones as Zack Taylor aka Black Ranger

A talented martial artist and dancer, Walter Jones played the confident Zack Taylor for the first season of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Walter left along with Austin St. John and Thuy Trang over contract disputes mid-way through the second season. Since the show Walter has remained in acting and had small roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift and Family Matters. A lot of his work since the show has come from children’s television voice over work.

Thuy Trang as Trini Kwan aka Yellow Ranger

A determined young woman who was destined to work in engineering, Thuy Trang never planned to become and actress. It was an unscheduled run in with a Hollywood agent that changed her career plans and the yellow ranger was born. Since the show Thuy received small acting roles in Spy Hard and The Crow: City of Angels. She died in 2001 in a tragic car crash, it was due to this the episode "Circuit Unsure" of Power Rangers Time Force was dedicated to Trang's memory.

David Yost as Billy Cranston aka Blue Ranger

As the only actor to appear in every episode of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, David Yost left the show in 1996 after 154 episodes of the original series and 43 episodes of the second wave of rangers Power Rangers: Zeo. Since the show he appeared in multiple small movie roles and in the early noughties he received multiple producer credits in a wide range of television shows. He is currently working the convention circuit.

Go go Angel Grove High! For fans of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV show, this is the way to show it in a subtle way! This tee features a distressed, vintage look white print of a logo for the school attended by the original and second wave of Rangers: Jason, Zack, Billy, Trini, Kimberley, Tommy, Rocky, Adam, Aisha and Kat (did you remember them all?)

REMEMBER THIS? LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND BOYS AND GIRLS OF ALL AGES... IT'S MORPHIN TIME!

Let us know your favourite moments and characters from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series in the comments below, or on social media. Head on over to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let’s get discussing!