Steve Cardenas | |
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Born | Stephen Antonio Cardenas May 29, 1974 Hampton, Virginia, U.S. |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1992–present (actor) 1986–present (martial artist) |
Known for | Rocky DeSantos / The Red Ranger / Blue Zeo Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Power Rangers Zeo |
Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) |
Website | Cardenas on Instagram Cardenas on Twitter |
Stephen Antonio Cardenas (born May 29, 1974) is an American martial artist and actor. He is best known for playing the character Rocky DeSantos, the second Red Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and eventually the Blue Zeo Ranger in Power Rangers Zeo . [1]
Cardenas was born Stephen Antonio Cardenas on May 29, 1974, in Hampton, Virginia, at the Langley Air Force Base. Spending his early childhood as a military brat, Cardenas was raised in San Antonio, Texas. He is of Puerto Rican and Spanish ancestry. [2] He started training in martial arts when he was about 12 years old and reached black belt in Taekwondo at age 16. He has been training in the martial arts for over 30 years and has earned a 5th degree black belt in Taekwondo and a 2nd degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. [3]
At age 20, Cardenas left his native Texas and settled in Los Angeles to audition for a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers role that would change his life. His character, Rocky DeSantos, replaced Jason Lee Scott as the Red Ranger in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series, and later became the Blue Zeo Ranger for Power Rangers Zeo . He had no previous acting experience and had to learn on the job. Cardenas left the Power Rangers series and retired from acting during Power Rangers Turbo , due to contract disagreements, and possibly to focus on his martial arts career. [4] Many years later, starting at the 2007 Power Morphicon convention, he began making convention appearances with other former cast members. [5]
After Power Rangers , he owns a martial arts studio in Burbank, California and one in his hometown of San Antonio. In 2009, he started a kids-specific program at Hollywood Brazilian jiu-jitsu studio in West Hollywood, and in 2011 he opened the Force/Balance Brazilian jiu-jitsu & Yoga school. Cardenas had become interested in Brazilian jiu-jitsu after losing a friendly match against "a blue belt in BJJ... [he] choked me out in 10 seconds! He was only training for a year and a half at that time and I had been training for 10 yrs. It was an immediate eye opener." The style was more difficult for him to learn than other martial arts disciplines. [6]
He holds multiple awards from martial arts contests, including two Silver Medals at Copa Pacifica (2009 and 2011), Gold Medal winner of the 2009 American National Championship, Gold Medal in the 2010 Jujitsu Pro Gear Open, and Silver Medal in the 2010 No-Gi World Championships. [6]
In 2017, he starred in the short movie The Order alongside Austin St. John, Catherine Sutherland, David Yost, Johnny Yong Bosch, Paul Schrier, Karan Ashley, Walter Emanuel Jones, Erin Cahill, Blake Foster, Nakia Burrise, Hilary Shepard Turner, Dan Southworth, Alyson Sullivan, Deborah Estelle Phillips and Azim Rizk. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]
For the first time since Power Rangers Turbo, Cardenas returned to the Power Rangers Franchise in Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel for the 25th anniversary episode reprising his role as Rocky DeSantos. He also reprised the role in the Netflix special, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always , which celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Power Rangers franchise. [15]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie | Rocky DeSantos / The Red Ranger | |
1997 | Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie | Rocky DeSantos | |
2017 | The Order | Dax | |
Beast of the Water | Evans | ||
2023 | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always | Rocky DeSantos / The second Red Ranger | 30th Anniversary Special |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1994–1996 2023 | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers | Rocky DeSantos / The Red Ranger / Rocko | 64 Episodes 30th anniversary special |
1994 | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Alpha's Magical Christmas | Rocky DeSantos | Video short |
1996 | Power Rangers Zeo | Rocky DeSantos / Blue Zeo Ranger / Prince Henry | 50 Episodes |
1997 | Power Rangers Turbo | Rocky DeSantos | 3 Episodes |
1999 | Power Rangers: The Lost Episode | Special episode (archival footage) | |
2018 | Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel | Rocky DeSantos / The Red Ranger | Episode: “Dimensions in Danger” |
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (MMPR) is an American superhero television series that premiered on August 28, 1993, on the Fox Kids programming block. It is the first entry of the Power Rangers franchise, and became a 1990s pop culture phenomenon along with a large line of toys, action figures, and other merchandise. The show adapted stock footage from the Japanese TV series Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger (1992–1993), which was the 16th installment of Toei's Super Sentai franchise. The second and third seasons of the show drew elements and stock footage from Gosei Sentai Dairanger and Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, respectively, though the Zyuranger costumes were still used for the lead cast in these two seasons. Only the mecha and the Kiba Ranger costume from Dairanger were featured in the second season while only the Kakuranger mecha was featured in the third season, though the Kakuranger costumes were later used for the mini-series Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers. The series was produced by MMPR Productions and distributed by Saban Entertainment, while the show's merchandise was produced and distributed by Bandai Entertainment.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting, and submission holds. BJJ focuses on taking ones opponent down to the ground, gaining a dominant position, and using a number of techniques to force them into submission via joint locks or chokeholds.
Jason David Frank was an American actor and mixed martial artist best known for his role as Tommy Oliver in the Power Rangers television franchise.
Dr. Thomas "Tommy" Oliver is a fictional character and the overarching main protagonist of the American live-action television franchise Power Rangers. He is best known as being the original Green Ranger and the first evil Ranger who fought and nearly defeated the original Power Rangers while under the control of Rita Repulsa. He was eventually freed from Rita’s spell and aligned himself with the other Power Rangers. He is a main character in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series, as well as four of its successive incarnations Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, and Power Rangers Dino Thunder. He also appeared in the Power Rangers Wild Force episode "Forever Red", the Power Rangers S.P.D. episode "Wormhole", the Power Rangers Super Megaforce episode "Legendary Battle", and in the Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel episode "Dimensions in Danger". He was portrayed by actor Jason David Frank in all of his appearances from the Zordon era until Saban Brands era's seasons of the franchise prior to his death in November 2022, with the exception of the episode "Wormhole", where he appeared only in Ranger form and was voiced by actor Jeffrey Parazzo. He was also infrequently portrayed by actor Michael Gotto in instances where the story required the character during childhood, such as in the series Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers.
Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers is a Power Rangers mini-series set immediately after the end of the third season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. As with the third season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, this mini-series adapted footage and costumes from the eighteenth Super Sentai series, Ninja Sentai Kakuranger.
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