Walter E. Jones | |
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Born | |
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Years active | 1990–present |
Walter Emanuel Jones (born November 30, 1970), also known as Tre Emanuel, is an American actor, martial artist, singer and dancer, known for playing the role of Zack Taylor, the original Black Ranger on the hit television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers . [1] [2]
He also appeared in successful television shows including Family Matters , Step by Step , Sabrina, the Teenage Witch , Moesha , Buffy the Vampire Slayer , Early Edition , NYPD Blue , CSI: Crime Scene Investigation , Off Centre and The Shield .
He played in films including Backyard Dogs (2000), House of the Dead 2 (2005), Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) and House Party (2023).
He gave his voice talent to animated films including Open Season 2 (2008) and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013).
Jones was born and raised in Detroit. [3] He lost the middle finger on his left hand at the age of 4. [4] He began his career with an uncredited role in the successful TV show Beverly Hills, 90210 . In 1992, he took part in the Malcolm X film.
Jones played the character of Zack Taylor, the original "Black Power Ranger" in the Power Rangers series. He was written out of the series midway through the second season, after a contract and pay dispute, and was replaced by Johnny Yong Bosch as the Black Ranger. [5] Jones returned to Power Rangers in the Lost Galaxy season (1999) where he played the voice of Hexuba's Nightmare Monster in the episode "Dream Battle"; he also acted in an episode of Power Rangers: Wild Force (2002) entitled Forever Red in which many previous Red Rangers teamed up. Again, he did not appear as his original character, Zack, but rather provided the voice for one of the antagonists, a general in the Machine Empire named Gerrok. He was also one of the special commentators, along with fellow co-star Amy Jo Johnson, on the "1993" episode of I Love the '90s . He also reunited with Austin St. John (with whom he formed a close friendship during their time together on the show) as co-host for a special airing of the original pilot episode of Power Rangers called "The Lost Episode". In 2023, he reprised the role of Zack Taylor for the first time since leaving the show in 1994 in the Netflix special, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always , which celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Power Rangers franchise. [6]
Jones was the very first actor to do voicework for any character other than a Ranger (mainly for monsters or villains) on a Power Rangers show after having a role as a Ranger himself. Other former Rangers who would do voicework after Jones included Archie Kao, Catherine Sutherland, Jason Faunt, Valerie Vernon, Sean Cw Johnson and Johnny Yong Bosch.
Jones was a lead character in the teen drama Malibu Shores playing "Mouse". Jones also had major roles in the independent film The Dogwalker. He has appeared in other well-known productions, including a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the season 4 episode "Fear, Itself" and the Disney Channel Original Movie, Brink! . [7] He also appeared as Harlan Band in the Nickelodeon series Space Cases , [8] his second role as a main character and as a teenager. He guest starred in an episode of Family Matters as Kissel, and portrayed a supporting character in the first season of The Shield named Rondell Robinson, a drug dealer. He had a small role in the film Suckers in which he played a character named Clay. He also appeared in many successful TV shows including Family Matters , Step by Step , Sabrina, the Teenage Witch , Moesha , Early Edition , NYPD Blue , CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Off Centre . Additionally, he played a small role in the film House of the Dead 2 as "locker zombie". Jones also had a cameo appearance in the film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift .
Jones also had a major role in the backyard wrestling film Backyard Dogs , which spent time as the lowest-rated film on IMDb. As of July 2007, it is no longer on the list as it was straight-to-video. Jones voiced characters in the successful animated films Open Season 2 (2008) and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013).
He appeared briefly as a salsa dance instructor on Age of Love . He also appeared in Mighty Med and as a poet in an episode of Disney XD's Pair of Kings . Additionally Jones has also been featured in a PetSmart commercial and a Bank of America commercial as well. In 2002, he appeared in the film Love and a Bullet . In 2016, he appeared in the film Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping and the short film Star Trek : Captain Pike.
In January 2019, he starred in The Order alongside Austin St. John, Catherine Sutherland, David Yost, Johnny Yong Bosch, Paul Schrier, Karan Ashley, Steve Cardenas, Erin Cahill, Blake Foster, Nakia Burrise, Hilary Shepard Turner, Dan Southworth, Alyson Sullivan, Deborah Estelle Phillips and Azim Rizk. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]
In 2021, he starred in the 7th episode of the second season of the series Boomerang . [17] The same year, he acted in the dramatic film Memoirs of a Fighter alongside Eric Roberts and Tara Reid. [18]
In 2023, he was one of the actors in the House Party . [19] The film was released for VOD on January 31, 2023, and was released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 14, 2023. [20] On June 11, 2023, he released his debut single "Dance" under the stage name "Tre Emanuel". [21]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | White Men Can't Jump | Guy On Watts Sideline | Uncredited |
Malcolm X | Barber's Customer | ||
1998 | Talisman | Jack Fine | |
The Gardener | Punk | ||
Brink | Boomer | ||
2000 | 6Pat 2 | Unknown | |
Backyard Dogs | Lee Takura | ||
2001 | Suckers | Clay | |
2002 | American Gun | J.B. | |
Love and a Bullet | Cisko | ||
Move | Chester / Chakou / Cyrus | ||
2005 | House of the Dead 2 | Locker Zombie | Uncredited |
2008 | Open Season 2 | Unknown | Voice |
2009 | Steps Toward The Sun | Cowboy #2 | |
2012 | Speed Demons | Terrance | |
2013 | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 | Additional Voices | |
2016 | Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping | Angry Fan | |
Star Trek: Captain Pike | Captain Sean Davis | ||
2017 | The Order [22] | Cole | |
2018 | Miller's Justice League Mortal [23] | Documentary | |
2023 | House Party | Himself | Cameo |
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always | Zack Taylor / Black Power Ranger | 30th Anniversary Special |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1990 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Guy In Hall | |
1993–1994 | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers | Zack Taylor / Black Power Ranger | Starring role (79 Episodes) |
1994 | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Alpha's Magical Christmas | Video short (archival footage) | |
1995 | Step by Step | Joe | |
The Parent 'Hood | Jared King | ||
Family Matters | Kissel | ||
1996 | Malibu Shores | Michael "Mouse" Hammon | 10 episodes |
1996–1997 | Space Cases | Harlan Band | Main role, 27 episodes, 2 seasons |
1997 | The Burning Zone | Marcus Dawson | |
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Dolrimple | ||
1998 | Brink! | "Boomer" | Television film (Disney Channel) |
1999 | Early Edition | "Crazy H" | |
Mutinerie | "Shorty" | Television film | |
In the House | Walter | ||
Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Edward | ||
Power Rangers Lost Galaxy | Nightmare Monster | ||
Power Rangers: The Lost Episode | Himself / Zack Taylor | Co-host / Co-star (original pilot) | |
2000 | NYPD Blue | Raymond Young | |
2001 | Moesha | Jay | 2 episodes |
Spyder Games | Dean | 4 episodes | |
2002 | Off Centre | "Cheddar" | |
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Street Racer | ||
Power Rangers Wild Force | Gerrok | Voice | |
Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe In Santa | Ricky Rogers | Voice, television film | |
2003 | The Shield | Rondell Robinson | 4 episodes |
2011 | Prime Suspect | Randall Hughes | |
2012 | Pair of Kings | "Tough Poet" | |
2013 | Mighty Med | Doctor |
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.
Jason David Frank was an American actor, model and mixed martial artist best known for his role as Tommy Oliver in the Power Rangers television franchise.
Zachary "Zack" Taylor is a fictional character in the Power Rangers universe, appearing in the television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. He is the first on-screen Black Ranger of Power Rangers. He would be succeeded as the Black Ranger by Adam Park. A reimagined version of Zack, now Chinese-American, would appear in the 2017 reboot film, played by Canadian actor Ludi Lin.
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.
David Harold Yost is an American actor and producer. He is best known for portraying Billy Cranston in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always and Power Rangers Cosmic Fury.
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Trini Kwan is a fictional character from the Power Rangers franchise, first appearing in the original series as the Yellow Ranger. She was portrayed by Vietnamese-American actress Thuy Trang.
Peter Claver Cullen is a Canadian voice actor. He is notable for voicing Optimus Prime in the original 1980s Transformers animated series, later returning to the role in Transformers media in 2007, starting with the first live-action film. He has also voiced many other characters across a wide variety of popular media, including Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, Monterey Jack in Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, the first voice of KARR in Knight Rider and the vocalizations of the title character in Predator.
Jason Lawrence Geiger professionally known as Austin St. John, is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Jason Lee Scott in the Power Rangers franchise.
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William Allen Young is an American actor and director who has starred in over 100 television, stage, and film projects, including two Academy Award-nominated films, A Soldier's Story and District 9. He is known for his roles as Frank Mitchell on UPN's Moesha, Dr. Rollie Guthrie on the CBS medical drama Code Black, and as Judge Joseph Ratner on CBS's CSI Miami. His other television credits include ABC's The Day After, General Hospital, CBS's Madam Secretary, JAG, Atlanta Child Murders, and The Women of Brewster Place, among other shows. He is also credited with helping to diversify the ranks of writers, actors, directors and producers in Hollywood through the landmark 2000 TV Network Agreement, which he helped broker while serving as a former co-chair of the African-American Steering Committee of the Directors Guild of America.
Maximilian Carlo Martini is an American actor, writer, and director. He is known for his roles as Corporal Fred Henderson in Saving Private Ryan, Wiley in Level 9, First Sergeant Sid Wojo in The Great Raid, and as Master Sergeant Mack Gerhardt in the CBS military drama television series The Unit. He also starred in the film 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi as Mark Geist.
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Karan Ashley is an American actress, singer, and talk show host. She is best known as Aisha Campbell, the second Yellow Power Ranger in the Fox Kids series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. In 1992, she was a member of the short-lived girl group K.R.U.S.H, who featured a song to the soundtrack of Mo' Money. She was known as "Ashley Jackson" at this time.
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