The REAL Reason The Original Power Rangers Were Fired

The Power Rangers have been a pop culture staple for decades. We all grew up with one version or another of our favorite Rangers. But did you know 3 of the original cast members were fired? That's right, they fired 3 of the original Power Rangers and replaced them after the first season.

#PowerRangers #Fired #Nerdstalgic

Writer - Chris Teregis
Editor - Brian Nappi

[Nerdstalgic]

Who's your favorite Power Ranger of all time?

[justinmosher]

The blue ranger lives out here in Vegas. My wifes cousin ran into him and recognized him immediately. Of coarse she only knew him as Billy, but he was kind enough to give her a blue ranger toy he had in his car and signed it.

[trinaq]

Rest in peace, Thuy Trang. You passed away at only 27 years old, yet you had so much talent to offer. You'll be forever known as Trini Kwan, the Yellow Power Ranger! 💛

[coachknapovic]

Saban missed a trick by allowing the original cast to be split up so quickly. They are the ones that are constantly remembered while the others...well...they are as memorable as the direction the show took.

[dragonballsuper]

I was heartbroken when the original cast members were replaced, especially the Red Ranger and as a kid I just couldn't accept the new ones. We had just gotten Tommy back as the White Ranger only for the team to be broken up. It really hurt the group dynamics, because there was no friendly rivalry between Tommy and Rocky like it was with Jason. I fully respect their decision, they should have been paid 10k per episode at the minimum, because Power Rangers was bringing in MILLIONS.

[monorayjak]

My cousin got to meet the guy who played Tommy on her birthday. My cousin is special needs and power rangers helped her get through everything and she told him that. She was crying of joy shortly after, because he gave her a power coin. One of my favorite personal stories.

[NZOMV]

Its crazy how I only found out why they were replaced from this youtube vid. Didn't know saban got away with all this.

[MikeOfMichigan]

As much as I love the first power rangers movie, there was always this part of me that wondered how much more I would have loved it if the original Red, Yellow and Black rangers were in it.

[lganeshan]

Rest in peace Jason David Frank it still hurts....

[Ubritoons]

For those curious about Thuy Trang & her whereabouts, sadly she is no longer with us. She passed away nearly 20 years ago on September 3rd 2001 due to suffering internal injuries from an aggressive car crash she was involved in while visiting friends. Thuy was only 27 years old when she died & would’ve turned 48 by the end of this year in December. Who knows what her future could’ve been if she was still alive embracing the positive impact she left, but at least we all can remember her for the courageous, kind & charming soul she legitimately was in & out of Power Rangers.

RIP Thuy Trang (December 14 1973-September 3 2001)

2022 Edit/Update: So it WAS confirmed by Angela Rockwell during an interview she had with the Power Rangers Playback podcast that Thuy herself was indeed notorious for not wearing a seatbelt during car rides. (So for those I that corrected in replies from the past you can all go apeshit on me now.)

If you guys would like to know a little bit more about the accident and Thuy herself as a person, I highly recommend you watch that same episode of Power Rangers Playback on YouTube. Despite the graphic situation and revelations, the interview itself is quite interesting. But PLEASE refrain from name-calling Angela. Remember, what happened was an accident to ALL parties. Mistakes were clearly made but the damage was done. So check it out but please be nice and considerate to the actress and what she through during that horrendous day.

[roonkolos]

"Payment in exposure" in of itself is always a massive red flag, no matter the career

[theboywiththepampersandtoy]

I only remember the original cast, Jason, Zack, Kimberly, Tommy (r.I.p) Trini (r.I.p) and Billy. No offense to the actors and actresses that came in after them. Those 6 will forever be apart of my strong childhood memory forever.

[lordtrinen]

Power Rangers was literally my alarm clock as a kid. Every morning my mom would come into my room and tell me "Power Rangers is on" and I'd jump out of bed immediately. I remember the episode where the original three Rangers got swapped out. Though I eventually got used to the new Rangers, I remember being confused and upset over them leaving. Had no idea things were so damn shady behind the scenes. the things you learn about your childhood memories...

[RMJAV]

It's so sad knowing how horribly these actors who helped define my childhood were treated.

[nofriansyah]

When Amy Jo said "the power is all yours now", it feels like, "the pain is all yours now"

[staticmonkey]

What they did to David Yost was disgusting. The Blur Ranger was always my favorite. Who would have thought something that I loved so much as a kid turned out to be a nightmare behind the scenes.

[HirXeBomb]

I always felt something was off when I was a kid and saw different actors in season 2. it was like seeing a family of friends forcefully getting separated. After season 2 and the movie I never watched anything Power Rangers related. Hearing the real truth about the change of actors really pisses me off but also happy that I never watched again!

[csl]

The original cast is the most well-known and memorable cast

[renatoruiz]

This explains a LOT. My friend was the stuntman for the Red Ranger in the original series. He still lived in the same poor neighborhood as me. I saw the suit in the back of his car. If the actors were paid so poorly, I can only imagine what the support cast were making. His name was Precious and he was a martial arts badass. With a name like that in the hood, you pretty much had to be.

[MrXmakingcontact]

I worked on the show for the first 2 seasons, when the actors went public regarding how much they were being paid that’s when things started to get ugly.. I remember when Saban told them “I held up my end of the deal I said I’d make you famous I never said I’d make you rich.”