10 Actors You Had No Idea Were In Power Rangers

Power Rangers is one of the most popular franchises in the world, and it's landed some of the biggest talent to play various roles in the show's long history. The Power Rangers first appeared on American TV with English-speaking storylines in 2003. However, the history of these shows actually stretches back as far as 1975. The original series, Super Sentai, is a Japanese franchise which became the foundation for the Power Rangers.

When the show was first brought Stateside, entire episodes of the Super Sentai show were chopped, edited, and adjusted to create what would become known as the Power Rangers. Today, many of the newest entries in the Power Rangers saga are original creations, or inspired by the Super Sentai counterparts, but early in the run, it was not uncommon to take the Mech battles, and any scenes where the Rangers were fully suited up from the original show, and then simply add some footage with new actors. And, on occasion, the Power Rangers have managed to land some big names.

10 Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston as Zordon in Power Rangers (2017)

Starting off strong with one of the most familiar faces from TV shows like Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle, Bryan Cranston has a history with the Power Rangers. In 1993, when the show first debuted in the USA, Cranston lent his voice to the villain, Twin Man. As mentioned above, this role did not require the actor to don a suit, because it reused footage from Super Sentai, and simply added Cranston's voice.

Then, in 2017, when the Power Rangers feature film was released, Cranston returned to the franchise for the first time in 25 years. This time, Cranston tackled the role of Zordon, a powerful mentor and ally to the Rangers. And this time, Cranston was able to provide his voice and face, as well as appearing in some flashback scenes when the character was alive on Earth as the Red Ranger before becoming an imprint in a ship's computer.

9 Vernon Wells

Vernon Wells experienced a peak in his popularity in the 1980s and 1990s when he was frequently cast in major action films like Mad Max 2, and Commando. His career has led to him playing both a hero and a villain depending on the circumstances, and in the early 2000s, he had a prominent part to play in multiple Power Rangers projects.

Wells made his debut in 2001s Power Rangers Time Force, where he played a time-traveling villain named Ransik. He then went on to play the same part in a movie, video game, and subsequent Power Rangers shows. With a brief appearance in Power Rangers Wild Force in 2002, before playing a much larger role in Power Rangers All between 2001 and 2002, Wells put in a lot of time into playing Ransik for the popular franchise.

8 Mark Williams

Eyescar, voiced by Mark Williams in Power Rangers

Mark Williams is immediately recognizable for his role playing Arthur Weasley, the father of Ron Weasley, in the Harry Potter films. The British actor's career also stretches much further back, with him starring in the 101 Dalmations movie starring Glenn Close as Cruella in 1996, and many other small productions stretching back to 1982. However, despite multiple roles in Power Rangers, it's likely that fans of the actor may not have noticed his roles in the show.

In 2007, Williams appeared in Power Rangers Operation Overdrive, when he voiced the Big Mouth Monster. As a villain, this role did not necessarily have too much screentime in his solo outing, but Williams nonetheless brought the character to life. Then, in 2012, Williams returned to the franchise again to voice a villain in Power Rangers Samurai by the name of Eyescar. Here, he played the primary antagonist to the Rangers in another solo adventure.

7 Alex Borstein

Alex Borstein as Madame Woe, Lipsyncher, Bloom of Doom, and Queen Machina on Power Rangers

Alex Borstein is a brilliant comedy actress who has voiced Lois Griffin for the hit adult animated show, Family Guy, since 1999. Borstein has also tackled various recurring roles in other TV shows, and appeared in major films like Bad Santa, and Catwoman. However, her first break into TV and film actually came thanks to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers back in 1993.

In 1993, Borstein was given a chance to voice multiple characters for the first two seasons of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. However, she was not referenced in the credits for tackling these parts, but it did serve as a jumping off point for the young actress. Then, just three years later, Borstein was invited back to tackle a much more prominent voice role in Power Rangers Zeo, where she would voice, and be credited for playing, Queen Machina.

6 Rose McIver

Closeup of Rose McIver in Power Rangers RPM

Rose McIver has been acting since the age of 4, when she began appearing on TV and in film. Over time, McIver has developed into a talented and capable actress who played the notable role of Lindsey Salmon in The Lovely Bones, and has starred in shows like iZombie and Ghosts. But one of her earliest leading roles actually came when she played one of the Power Rangers in 2009.

McIver plays the role of Summer Landsown, a spoiled and bratty rich kid who loses everything, and then learns to be kind, selfless, and protect others. In fact, she becomes the Yellow Ranger in Power Rangers RPM, and returns again to play the role in Power Rangers All in that same year. While the role was clearly a stepping stone towards bigger things, it was likely a big part of helping her transition from a supporting or background character to taking on much more prominent roles.

5 Johnny Yong Bosch

Second Black Power Ranger Adam Park in a screen shot from Power Rangers Turbo

Johnny Yong Bosch is a prolific voice actor who has landed major roles in some of the most popular and prominent anime shows. Bosch plays Ichigo Kurosaki in the Bleach anime, Broly in the Dragon Ball franchise, Nate in Yo-kai Watch, and many more characters that take his total credited roles to over 450 different projects. However, among his earliest roles as an actor, Bosch actually starred in the live-action show as Adam Park, aka the Black Ranger.

Bosch first tackled the role of Adam Park in 1994, before being brought back in various later series of the show. He was the second person to become the Black Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and eventually became the Green Ranger in several subsequent iterations of the show. While his career as a Power Ranger began back in 1994, he has returned to tackle the role of Adam Park in various projects, which have seen him play the character as recently as 2023, when he appeared in the movie MightyMorphin Power Rangers: Once & Always.

4 Paul Freeman

Ivan Ooze in the first Power Rangers movie with Goldar behind him

Paul Freeman is a prolific British actor who has racked up well over a hundred credits in his lengthy career, with some of his most notable highlights being as a villain in films like Stephen Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark opposite Harrison Ford. Freeman continues to have a healthy, thriving career, though he is often cast as villains and antagonists, which seems to have left him as a severely underrated talent.

Back in 1995, when Freeman had already established himself as an extremely capable villain with range as a performer, he was cast to play the part of Ivan Ooze in the 1995 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie. Interestingly, this saw the actor go toe to toe with Johnny Yong Bosch's Adam Park, as the alien tyrant attempted to take over the world, and eradicate the Power Rangers who stood in his way. While this may have been a bit of a departure for the classically trained actor, it certainly elevated the film.

3 Aloma Wright

Aloma Wright played Adelle Ferguson on Power Rangers

Aloma Wright is perhaps best known for her portrayal as Nurse Shirley Roberts in the hit comedy show, Scrubs. However, Wright has also had a long and healthy career, appearing in other large films and shows for decades, including alongside Adam Sandler in the 2002 movie, Mr. Deeds, and playing the secretary, Gretchen in Suits.

In 1998, Wright appeared in Power Rangers in Space, playing a major role as Adelle Ferguson. Adelle runs the Surf Shop where the Rangers gather together, and she becomes a close and caring friend to the young heroes. She appears many times throughout the series, and returns again in Power Rangers All for several more episodes, also in 1998.

2 Richard Steven Horvitz

Alpha 5 in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Once & Always trailer

Richard Steven Horvitz may not be an actor whose face is immediately recognizable, but for anyone who grew up watching Cartoon Network, or Nickelodeon, his voice will absolutely resonate. Horvitz has voiced popular characters like Billy from The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Zim from Invader Zim, and more recently, he has lent his voice to the character Moxxie in the popular internet series Helluva Boss, which was created by the same person who made Hazbin Hotel, Vivienne Medrano.

Horvitz is actually one of the actors who has appeared more than almost anyone else in Power Rangers, with his first appearance being in the Mighty Morphin era, and returning as recently as 2023, with hundreds of appearances in between. And the reason he has popped up so often, yet may be unrecognizable, is because he is the voice of the robot, Alpha 5. Alpha 5 has returned to the show numerous times down through the years, occasionally being upgraded to a newer model, such as Alpha 7 and Alpha 9, but between all of these models, it remains Horvitz' voice bringing the character to life.

1 Eka Darville

Eka Darville has been steadily increasing his profile in Hollywood with increasingly notable performances. In the last 10 years, he has had significant roles in The Originals, The Defenders, Jessica Jones, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. But every actor has to start somewhere, and one of Darville's earliest outings was as Scott Truman in Power Rangers RPM.

It is worth noting that this was the same series that helped launch Rose McIver towards bigger roles, and likewise, for Darville, his time as a Power Ranger appears to have set him off on a path towards success. However, unlike his costar, Darville has returned to more Power Rangers outings since the end of RPM, with the actor also appearing in Power Rangers Samurai, and Power Rangers All. Evidently, the Power Rangers franchise has highlighted a lot of talent in the show's history.