What Happened To The Original Cast Of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers?

The "Power Rangers" franchise has been going strong for nearly 30 years, with numerous exciting stories told through television, video games, comic books, and other media. The series has had an amazing cultural impact, and even after multiple decades, fans still show up in droves to support it. The original show, titled "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," first premiered in 1993 and ran for three seasons before the series started rebranding every year or so. Though the subsequent shows have been plenty entertaining, it's hard to compete with the original cast — characters who've stuck with us and challenged us to become heroes in our own lives.

While the "Morphin" team eventually dissolved, the original Power Rangers still hold a special place in the hearts of many. Even the 2017 film reboot used the original characters (albeit with a new cast) as a launching point. In fact, "MMPR" is so iconic that the modern BOOM! Comics series has centered strictly around the original "Mighty Morphin" team. The message is clear: Nothing is quite like the original. And after all these years, it's natural to wonder what became of the original "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers." Well, grab your morphers and insert your power coins, because you're about to find out.

After his time on "Power Rangers," Austin St. John worked as an emergency responder for over a decade, serving his community in ways his Red Ranger character surely would have been proud of (per Central Florida Future). He then spent a few years deployed as a medic in the U.S. military. In addition to his medical work, St. John is an accomplished martial artist, having worked as a karate instructor and even publishing a book on the subject. 

Over the years, St. John has also returned to the "Power Rangers" universe several times, donning both his Red Ranger and "Power Rangers Zeo" Gold Ranger garb as Jason Lee Scott. His most prominent appearances in the franchise after "MMPR" include the "Power Rangers Wild Force" special "Forever Red," which celebrated the return of past Red Rangers, and the 2020 "Power Rangers Beast Morphers" episode "Grid Connection."

Aside from "Power Rangers," St. John has been featured in a few different feature films, including the Christian drama "A Walk with Grace" and the John Schneider-directed "Tres Leches." He's also been involved with the independent media project "The Order," which involves many other "Power Rangers" alumni. He is also working on an indie comic book titled "Redempt1on." In 2022, St. John was charged with 18 others in a Paycheck Protection Program-related fraud case (via. Deadline). According to the actor, he has entered a "not guilty" plea and is only able to leave Texas for work-related reasons.

Thuy Trang is probably best remembered for her role as Yellow Ranger Trini Kwan on "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers." After starring in the series for 80 episodes, Trang eventually left to pursue other acting opportunities. During that time, she was featured in a cameo role in the Leslie Nielsen spy parody "Spy Hard" and as the villain Kali in "The Crow: City of Angels." She also appeared as herself in two video documentaries, both covering martial arts.

In 2001, at the age of 27, Trang was killed in a tragic car accident. As they'd all been close friends, her former "Power Rangers" co-stars took the loss pretty hard (per EW). Original Pink Ranger Amy Jo Johnson even spoke at her memorial service. In remembrance, the "Power Rangers Time Force" episode "Circuit Unsure" was dedicated to Trang's memory. In the 2023 30th anniversary special, "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always," actress Charlize "Charlie" Kersh is introduced to the "Ranger"-verse as Trini's daughter Minh, thus continuing the character's legacy. Trang has remained an icon in the eyes of fans for her lasting impact on the "Power Rangers" franchise.

Walter Emanuel Jones eventually departed "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" over a contract dispute, alongside co-stars Austin St. John and Thuy Trang (per Den of Geek). He later returned for "Power Rangers Lost Galaxy" and "Power Rangers Wild Force," but not as Black Ranger Zack Taylor. Instead, Jones voiced a number of the shows' villains. He's done a significant amount of voice acting in the years since, with credits on animated features like "Open Season 2" and "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" and video games like "Freedom Fighters" and "Red Dead Redemption." Jones also worked as a main cast member on the TV shows "Malibu Shores" and "Space Cases," and he played a supporting role on "The Shield."

Additionally, Jones had guest appearances in episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "CSI: Crime-Scene Investigation," "Family Matters," and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," and feature films "Backyard Dogs," "House of the Dead 2," and "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping." Like many other former Rangers, Jones spends a lot of time on the convention circuit, and he occasionally releases content independently on his YouTube channel. In 2023, Jones returned as Zack Taylor for the 30th anniversary "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always" Netflix special, marking his first appearance as the character in decades.

Amy Jo Johnson might be best known for playing the original Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart on the original "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," but she's had a pretty expansive career since then. After bowing out of "Mighty Morphin" in its Season 3, Johnson only returned to the franchise sans the spandex, once as non-powered Kimberly in "Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie" and again in the 2017 reboot film alongside Jason David Frank. Beyond that, Johnson made her TV rounds as Julie Emrick on "Felicity," Jules in the Canadian series "Flashpoint," and Hayley Price in "Covert Affairs." Johnson's acting career is only part of her work as an artist, however. An accomplished singer-songwriter, she's released several albums, including a few songs that have been featured on some of her own shows like "Flashpoint," "Felicity," and "The Division."

In the 2010s, Johnson began her career as a director. Her credits include several short films, 2017's "The Space Between" (which she also wrote and starred in), the black comedy "Tammy's Always Dying," and episodes of the CW's "Superman & Lois." Although she opted not to return for the 30th-anniversary special, Johnson is still involved with the "Power Rangers" franchise. Alongside boyfriend and director Matt Hotson, Johnson is penning a 30th anniversary "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" special of her own, just in the form of a BOOM! Studios comic series (per Variety). Guess it's true what they say — once a Ranger, always a Ranger.

David Yost stuck around with the "Power Rangers" franchise for longer than most of the original cast, with his character of Billy Cranston — aka the original Blue Ranger — often serving a tech support role when not suiting up with the rest of the team. The actor has alleged that he experienced extensive homophobia on set, which he claims was the main reason for his eventual departure (per No Pink Spandex). He's made a few film appearances since in movies like "Ladykiller" and "Degenerate," but he hasn't done too much acting outside of the "Power Rangers" franchise. In 2019, Yost appeared in the fan-made parody web series "Life After Power Rangers."

In lieu of acting, Yost has worked primarily in various production and location management roles for different television series. He has credits in those capacities on shows like "The Desperate Housewives of Beverly Hills," "Alien Hunter," and the Fox series "Temptation Island," as well as on comedies like "Burning Love" and "Garfunkel and Oates." Yost co-owns a clothing company called Affirmative, named after his famous "Power Rangers" catchphrase. Desiring to revisit his time on "Power Rangers," Yost was the man behind Netflix's interest in the 2023 "Once & Always" 30th-anniversary special, which marks his return as Billy Cranston, a character he hadn't played in 27 years. Yost is slated to return as Cranston in Netflix's upcoming "Power Rangers Cosmic Fury."

The original Green Ranger, Tommy Oliver is one of the most beloved "Power Rangers" characters to date, and Jason David Frank continued to ride that high. Working as a martial artist, an actor, and a producer, Frank stayed busy after "Mighty Morphin." In fact, he continued with the franchise until midway through "Power Rangers Turbo," and he returned as a guest star a few seasons later for "Power Rangers Dino Thunder." Frank continued to return to "Power Rangers" as Tommy Oliver, most notably on "Wild Force," "Super Megaforce," and "Super Ninja Steel" before partnering with comic book writer Kyle Higgins to tell Tommy's final adventure in "Power Rangers: Soul of the Dragon." He even made a quick cameo in the 2017 "Power Rangers" reboot film alongside Amy Jo Johnson.

Outside of "Power Rangers," Frank was an accomplished martial artist and a frequent collaborator with YouTube-based production company Bat in the Sun. The latter allowed him to officially reprise his role as Tommy Oliver on multiple occasions, including in the web series "Super Power Beatdown." He likewise partnered with Bat in the Sun for the reality web series "My Morphin Life," "Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe," and the 2023 feature film "Legend of the White Dragon," which is meant to pay homage to his time on "Power Rangers." In 2022, Frank committed suicide at 49. Several of his "Mighty Morphin" co-stars paid tribute to their friend (via Newsweek).

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

The original face and voice of Zordon, David J. Fielding would eventually be replaced by Robert L. Manahan, but that wouldn't keep him away from "Power Rangers" forever. In recent years, Fielding has embraced his iconic role, returning to the character in the "Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid" video game. In addition, Fielding has also lent his vocal talents to various "Power Rangers" fan projects, including the prequel web series "Zordon of Eltar" and the "Power Rangers In Space" sequel series "Bloodline of the Grid."

Aside from his "Power Rangers" work, Fielding has also done some voice work for a number of video games, such as "Zeus: Master of Olympus," "Empire Earth," and the horror game "Sanitarium." He's been involved in the multimedia project "The Order," which involves several of his former "Power Rangers" co-stars as well. For "Mighty Morphin" fans, Fielding will always be iconic for playing the original Zordon.

Actor and comedian Richard Steven Horvitz might be best known to "Power Rangers" fans as the sporadic Alpha 5, but his career spans much further than that. For years, Horvitz has been a big name in the realm of voice acting, playing major roles like Zim from "Invader Zim," Billy from "The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy," Raz from the video game series "Psychonauts," and the alien Grey Matter on the original "Ben 10." He's returned to "Power Rangers" to voice additional villains (and Alpha 7 in the "Forever Red" reunion), but his career has mostly centered around animation and the games industry.

On the big screen, Horvitz has voiced characters in films like "Mulan," "Osmosis Jones," and "The Wind Rises." His TV credits include "Codename: Kids Next Door," "Johnny Bravo," "Static Shock," "Teen Titans Go!," and "The Fairly Odd Parents," among others. Horvitz has also reprised many of his most iconic roles in various video games based on the corresponding movies and shows. In 2023, Horvitz returned to "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" for the 30th-anniversary Netflix special "Once & Always," this time voicing Alpha 9, a replacement model for the Alpha 5 unit he originally played. Though he'll always be part of the "Mighty Morphin" legacy, Horvitz has certainly built an impressive career beyond the series.

Best known for his work as Bulk on "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," Paul Schrier stuck with the series longer than most of the original cast members. Schrier appeared as Bulk in the first seven seasons of the show (spanning five different incarnations of the team) and in two features films, and he eventually began voicing assorted villains on the show as well. He even directed a few episodes during his time with "Power Rangers," and he returned as a main cast member for the "Power Rangers Samurai" seasons. In 2017, Schrier joined the cast of "Power Rangers Hyperforce," an official RPG series following a new group of futuristic Rangers.

Aside from his "Power Rangers" work, which is clearly extensive, Schrier hasn't been up to a whole lot. His other credits include shows like "Mighty Magiswords" and a few different anime series such as "Eagle Riders" and "Teknoman." 

While Bulk may have stuck with the show longer, his legendary sidekick Skull, played by Jason Narvy, stayed with "Power Rangers" for a decent tenure as well. After appearances in the first seven seasons and the first two live-action films, Narvy eventually left Skull behind (though only after a failed "Bulk & Skull" pilot) to pursue other opportunities. While he eventually returned as Skull (albeit briefly) in "Power Rangers Samurai," Narvy gravitated more toward stage performance, teaching acting and theater arts at Concordia University.

Narvy's other film credits since "Power Rangers" include the character Guile Lydon in "Wicked Game," Mike in the short film "Penny," and a starring role opposite fellow "Power Rangers" alum Johnny Yong Bosch in the short film "Ark Exitus," co-written by "Power Rangers" comic book writer Kyle Higgins. Narvy left an indelible mark on the franchise with his performance as Skull, and it's great to see him still doing the work so many years later.