Walter Jones

He was heading to audition for Star Search when he lost his voice and detoured into an open casting call for a kids' show. That show was Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and Zack Taylor, the Black Ranger, became TV's first Black superhero. To sell the character, he invented 'Hip Hop Kido,' fusing hip-hop dance moves with martial arts. The show pulled in $1 billion in its first year and aired in 40 countries. His per-episode rate: under $1,200. He and two co-stars pushed for better pay, and the show wrote them out.

Thirty years of convention appearances and villain voice roles in later Power Rangers seasons kept him visible. The Netflix special Once & Always (2023) brought him back as Zack Taylor for the first time since 1994. When the show's original writer called the casting 'a mistake' that year, Jones was direct: 'It wasn't a mistake; it was a milestone.' In a 2026 podcast, he detailed producers putting out bananas to represent Black culture on set during production. He refused to film. The milestone and the stupidity came from the same show.

At 4, he lost the middle finger on his left hand in a firearm accident. Dance and martial arts followed. By 1992, he was performing at the Barcelona Olympics closing ceremonies. By 1993, he had the Black Ranger suit. The decade that followed handed him mostly guest spots and small parts. He has said Power Rangers was almost the only time Hollywood cast him as a hero.