Posted in: TV | Tagged: amy jo johnson, power rangers

Power Rangers: Amy Jo Johnson Reflects on Her Pink Ranger Legacy

Amy Jo Johnson reflects on her legacy as Kimberly Hart/Pink Ranger on Power Rangers and embracing her positive generational influence.

At the time, American programming for kids was largely defined by Saturday morning cartoons and exaggerated experiences of high school life, like Saved by the Bell, California Dreams, and Degrassi. Haim Saban and Shuki Levy embarked on importing and adapting Japanese programming for American audiences and given the success of the comic book genre with young adults, the concept of live-action teenage superheroes made natural sense with the series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Premiering on Fox Kids in 1993, the series introduced "teenagers" with attitude in what's known as the super sentai genre, where the heroes fight a themed villain of the week before their eventual climactic battle, either supersized or in giant robots to defeat the grown enemies, a twist of the concept popularized by franchises like Godzilla and Ultraman. It became a launching point for actress Amy Jo Johnson, who played Kimberly Hart, the Pink Ranger, over 138 episodes across three seasons, several specials, and films. The actress, who appeared in over 50 titles, has embraced her other roles as director, writer, and musician, speaking with Entertainment Tonight on her legacy empowering generations of young girls.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Star Amy Jo Johnson on Kimberly Hart/Pink Ranger Legacy and Career Since

When it came to her first impression of the iconic Pink Power Ranger suit, "Literally, I think at the time it was like, 'Oh my God!' I'm gonna be wearing pink spandex on national television. What have I gotten myself into?" Considering how embedded superhero culture is now, probably not as embarrassing as those who might have viewed it back then. As a follow-up question about whether the actress still has those same acrobatic and martial arts moves as her character, "Well, no [laughs]. I do not. I stick to Pilates at this point."

Reflecting on being part of the "girl power" movement, "I didn't understand what Kimberly represented until more recently," Johnson said. "Kimberly wasn't Amy Jo, but it's really cool to have played a character that inspired so many girls in that way. It's probably one of the biggest blessings in my life," with her action figure serving as an excellent example of her character's influence. The actress went on to have numerous successful runs on prime-time episodic television, including roles in Felicity, The Division, and Flashpoint. Her last Power Rangers appearance was a cameo opposite her late co-star Jason David Frank, who played Tommy Oliver/Green/White Ranger in the original series, for the 2017 attempted theatrical reboot of the franchise of the same name. For more including how many Power Ranger gifts Johnson gets from longtime fans, convention stories, comics, post-MMPR career, and life beyond Hollywood, you can check out the video.

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