David Yost, the actor who played Billy the Blue Ranger on the original “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” television series, is returning to the franchise after more than a decade away. Yost left the show in the mid-1990s, citing pervasive homophobic abuse from the show’s creators, producers, writers, and directors. In a recent trailer for Netflix’s upcoming “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always,” Yost and co-star Walter Emanuel Jones appear as their original characters, Billy and Zack, respectively.
The new film retains the show’s signature low-budget charm and centers on the original series’ Black and gay actors, with Billy and Zack taking on leadership roles in the reconstituted Rangers. The film follows the pair as they attempt to reassemble their team after the death of their comrade, Trini, who was played by Thuy Trang in the original series.
Yost’s return to the franchise is a significant moment for both the actor and the show’s LGBT fans. In a 2010 interview, Yost detailed the homophobic abuse he endured on the show’s set, which eventually led to his departure. He described being called a “fa***t” by colleagues and feeling like he was “continually being told [he was] not worthy of being where [he was] because [he was] a gay person.” After leaving the show, Yost underwent conversion therapy in an attempt to “pray the gay away,” an experience that ultimately led to a nervous breakdown and hospitalization.
Yost’s return to the franchise marks a positive step forward for the show’s representation of LGBTQ characters and actors. While the Power Rangers franchise has featured diverse casts in the past, including the introduction of the first transgender character in 2017, the show has also been criticized for its lack of explicit queer representation. Yost’s return provides a powerful reminder of the importance of inclusion and representation in media, and of the ongoing struggle for equality and acceptance for LGBTQ people both on and off screen.