Power Rangers Reunion

Jason David Frank -- one of the original "Power Rangers" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The actor and mixed martial artist died in Texas, according to his rep Justine Hunt. Sources with direct knowledge tell us his death was the result of suicide.

JDF is best known as Tommy Oliver from the original run of the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" franchise, dating back to the kids series' debut in 1993 ... when he was introduced as one of six crime/monster-fighting superheroes, masked head to toe with kung-fu skills.

Fans will remember ... he started out as the Green Ranger in Season 1, introduced at first as an enemy of the Power Rangers -- only to do a 180 and become good. After his powers start to deteriorate, however, he's turned into the White Ranger ... and tapped as the new leader of the group. Frank starred as one of the leads for 3 seasons, totaling 123 episodes.

Frank went on to reprise his role as Tommy in several adaptions of 'Power Rangers' -- including 'Wild Force,' 'Turbo,' 'Zeo,' 'Dino Thunder,' 'Megaforce,' 'Ninja Steel,' 'HyperForce,' and more. He's been a Red Ranger, a Black Ranger and a Green Ranger anew. JDF is a fan favorite Power Ranger ... which is why he's returned to the franchise time and again.

His onscreen fighting abilities translated into the real world ... Frank was a professionally trained MMA brawler, who was well-versed in everything from Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and others. He fought professionally for a time from 2008 to 2010.

He's survived by his four children.

Jason's rep Justine tells TMZ  ... "Please respect the privacy of his family and friends during this horrible time as we come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful human being. He loved his family, friends and fans very much. He will truly be missed."

Frank was 49.

RIP

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The original Black Ranger from "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" can't believe someone made his TV weapon into a real-life killing instrument ... and now he wants his own.

We got Walter Jones Monday at LAX, where our photog asked what he thought about the show "Man at Arms" ... recreating his character's Power Axe (which doubled for a gun on TV).

Walter's all about it, but not completely surprised it got done. It is 2017, after all -- the tech these days is pretty wild. As he puts it ... making an axe-blaster is high on the doable list.

We also ask what his weapon of choice would be in a real battle ... let's just say Walt's old school.

Get ready to feel old ... cause 20 years ago today the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" premiered on TV -- and one ex-teenager with attitude is commemorating the day by free falling from 14,000 feet in the air.

Jason David Frank a.k.a. the Green and White Ranger tells us he felt like celebrating twenty years of "MMPR" by going to Skydive Spaceland in Houston today to jump out of a plane.

Frank says the aircraft opens from the back, military style, so he can get a running start before plummeting to the ground at 120 mph.

The 39-year old actor says he can't believe "Power Rangers" debuted 20 years ago ... and assures "MMPR" fans that his return to the show next season will be awesome ... adding, "I can't wait to continue living the legacy of the Green Ranger."

JDF's been jump crazy lately ... he also skydived out of a perfectly good helicopter earlier this week. Check out the footage... it's insane!

Great news ... the Power Rangers just added the Green ranger to their reunion guest list! What's not so great -- especially for Mr. Green -- everyone seems more interested in who Liberace was banging!

Green Ranger is COMING BACK -- telling TMZ he's 100% IN for the upcoming "Power Rangers" reunion ... despite the fact some of his co-stars are boycotting.

We spoke to Jason David Frank -- aka Tommy the Green (then White) Ranger -- who tells us he's not only "confirmed" to appear in "Power Rangers: MegaForce" ... he's already on location in New Zealand.

As we previously reported ... Blue, Black and Yellow (#2) have sworn off the reunion, claiming producers were jerks who offered crappy contracts to resurrect their characters.

But Jason -- who's now a pro MMA fighter -- says it shouldn't be about the money, it's all about the fans -- telling us, "I told my fans I'd do [the Power Rangers reunion] for a dollar."

Tommy also drops a MAJOR bombshell about his character -- it's gonna blow your minds!!

BONUS -- WANNA WATCH GREEN DO KARATE IN SOME WEIRD, DARK BACK ALLEY???

Hell yeah you do. Check out the clip ...

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers reunion was BOTCHED … producers offered insulting money for a lame cameo and were impersonal JERKS about the whole thing … so says Karan Ashley, the 2nd yellow ranger -- who’s also declining to attend.

Ashley ranted for 45 minutes Thursday on the audio blog Uncensored Radio about how poorly the 20-year reunion effort was handled. Her chief beef ... participating would burn 5 days from her schedule ... but she claims producers only offered to pay for 2.

“I’m not trying to help someone make another billion dollars,” she says, “and you’re not even going to pay me for my time? It’s disrespectful. It’s just wrong.”

As TMZ previously reported … original Blue Power Ranger David Yost says he declined because producers harassed him for being gay … and original Black Power Ranger Walter Jones followed suit in support of his friend.

Ashley says a couple of those producers are still there ... and their outreach was pathetic. Instead of inviting all 10 ranger actors personally, she says, producers sent a typo-infested mass email -- offering nothing more than a cameo -- then didn’t respond for WEEKS to those who expressed interest.

What’s WORSE … Ashley says producers later UNINVITED certain cast members who were excited to take part, citing “budgetary reasons.”

The Power Rangers reunion gets less mighty by the day ... now it's the BLACK Power Ranger who says he won't go-go ... in part out of respect for the Blue Ranger's beef with producers.

As TMZ previously reported ... Blue Power Ranger David Yost declined an invitation to reunite the original cast, saying the producers harassed him for being gay when he was on the show from 1993-1996.

Now original Black Power Ranger Walter Jones tells TMZ he was treated pretty badly, too ... and he's following his friend's lead.

"I'm very sorry to disappoint the fans as I would have loved to be a part of it," Jones tells TMZ. "David, who I still keep in touch with regularly, is a very great guy and it would have been fun to work together again on something we helped originate."

But sources close to the situation tell TMZ the alleged abuse isn't the only factor ... that both Yost and Jones are holding out in part because the show isn't offering enough money to make up for the way producers treated them.

For those keeping score at home, the reunion of the original cast is dwindling fast ...

Go Go ... SCREW YOURSELVES -- that's the message the Blue Power Ranger sent to producers who asked him to participate in a reunion episode, claiming he's still pissed about the homophobic "abuse" he endured back in the day.

David Yost -- an openly gay actor who was on the show from 1993 to 1996 -- says he was contacted to appear on an episode of "Power Rangers Megaforce" ... along with other members of the original cast.

But Yost kicked the offer to the curb like it was a member of the Putty Patrol -- explaining on Twitter that he's "Done with abusive relationships."

As TMZ previously reported, Yost had major beef with "Rangers" brass back in the day, claiming he quit the show after years of negative abuse. Specifically he says producers called him the F-word.

As we previously reported, former Blue Ranger David Yost just revealed he is gay -- and claimed he was forced to quit MMPR back in the day because he "was called 'f*ggot' one too many times" by staffers.

But producer Scott Page-Pagter explains, "[Yost] and two of the other actors were all getting a bonus on top of their salary. When the other two left the show, production wanted to stop giving him the bonus, and that’s ultimately what led to his departure from the show.”

As for the allegations of homophobia, Page-Pagter told us, “I don’t know why he’s saying this, but he was the only one no one got along with ... he was a pain in the ass.”

Actor David Yost -- who played the B.R. from 1993 to 1996 -- just gave an interview to "No Pink Spandex" -- and explained, "I was called 'f*ggot' one too many times [by the show's] creators, producers, writers, directors."

Yost added, "I know that my co-stars were called in a couple of times to different producers' offices and questioned about my sexuality, which is kind of a humiliating experience to find that out."

Yost claims it got so bad on the show that he became "worried that I might take my own life."

Instead, Yost took a break from Hollywood ... and only recently decided to start acting again.