Malaysian actor Jason Chan wanted to be a Power Ranger so much, he 'broke' a contract with Disney

Power Rangers is a massive franchise with a decades-long legacy. So, when faced with the chance to star in it, how much would one sacrifice?

For Malaysian actor Jason Chan, who played the Green Samurai Ranger (Cameron "Cam" Watanabe) on Power Rangers Ninja Storm (2003), he broke a contract with Disney for the role.

Speaking to Yahoo Southeast Asia at the Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) in last December, the 52-year-old recalled that he was doing a show on Playhouse Disney when he got cast - and the Disney gig was the first job he scored after getting out of drama school.

He said, “But, of course, I wanted to act. So, when Power Rangers came up, it actually clashed. They were shooting at the same time.”

Since he had to “break a contract” for the role, Chan’s agent asked if he really wanted it. After all, it would also potentially affect his future opportunities or result in him being typecast.

Chan shared, “I told my agent quite sheepishly, it may sound weird to you, but as a male kid, from from very early on, I wanted to be a hero, like a superhero. I just want to play a superhero once in my life. Is that bad?”

With his mind made up, Chan and his agent had to get on a call with the LA and Hong Kong Disney teams, with their lawyers, “and it was this really awkward moment”.

“I was told to just say one word. She (his agent) said you will be asked one question - do you want to do Power Rangers? And then you will answer yes or no. That’s it. Don’t say anything else.”

No guesses on what Chan’s answer was. However, being a Power Rangers “didn’t necessarily open a lot of doors”, he confessed.

Power Rangers impacted acting career

His co-star, Adam Tuominen (who played the Crimson Thunder Ranger, Hunter Bradley) concurred that taking up the role “really sort of put us on the backfoot” because the show wasn’t aired in Australia due to “censorship laws”.

It also impacted “the smooth nature of my career” as he had been on television shows and theatre productions prior. So, it was tough to get back in because they had “taken ourselves out of the industry in Australia” at that time.

The 44-year-old Australian actor told Yahoo at SGCC, “And I even got asked to come back on a couple of the shows that I've done before getting Power Rangers, and I couldn't do it because I was locked into the contract for Power Rangers.”

Tuominen revealed that they were asked to come back to do the sequel, Dino Thunder, but “a couple of us said no”.

“In hindsight I think, maybe, Dino Thunder with all of us as the cast, it could have been interesting,” he mused.

When asked why he turned down the opportunity, he replied, “For me, it was the fact that my agent told me not to take it (the role) to begin with, and that was playing around in my head. When I took it, he left me as an agent.”

Chan added, “People don't say, ‘Oh, you're a Power Ranger. You must be an amazing actor. Come and do this or that.’ But, it was always a topic of conversation. It was always a way to instantly break the ice.”

That said, the experience was special for Chan, and the cast and crew became a “tight knit family”. He also felt it was “worth it” when people recognise him as the Green Samurai Ranger from their childhood days, and shared how happy they were to watch him.

Getting stopped at LAX customs

For Tuominen, the global impact of Power Rangers and how it spans decades is what makes it meaningful.

He shared, “Glenn and I, the last time we caught up was in the US. He did a convention over there. We're out having a drink somewhere, and he's like, ‘Seriously, what other show would you be able to travel the world 20 years later and meet fans?’

“There isn't many, you know? There's a few real big shows that people would do that, and they have those. But, you know, Power Rangers has taken us all over the world.”

Tuominen even shared an amusing anecdote of how he was stopped by customs at LAX because of his Ranger helmet. He explained that as his “prized possession”, he always brings it in his carry-on luggage - instead of checking it in - to avoid damaging it.

He recalled with a laugh, “So I was taking it through, and I got stopped… and someone said, ‘We’ll just have a look at what’s in this bag.’ I had to open the bag and pull out the helmet, and they went, ‘I knew that was what it was. I knew that was you. You’re a Power Ranger!’

“I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah. Can I put my shoes on now?’”

Celebrating 20 years

The show celebrated its 20-year anniversary last year and for Tuominen, the “craziest” part of the Power Rangers journey is seeing the impact it has after all this time, and meeting the fans at conventions around the world.

He said, “To now be able to come here, and go to different countries, and meet all these fans that have been touched by what we did on that show is probably what keeps me going…

“It makes me feel like I'm still a bit of an actor as well. When the jobs aren't there, at least we still can do some comic cons, and come out and talk about something we did 20 years ago.”

“I think it's only really dawning on me now, 20 years later, that it’s special,” Chan added, and shared how he was talking a walk along Marina Bay Sands a few years ago when he noticed some adults following him.

He was unsure about what they wanted, thinking they might want to steal something, but all they wanted was to take a photo with him.

Chan remarked, “That I thought was special because like we said, there are not many things that survive that long. There are not many things that touch you in a certain way.”

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