Austin St. John, who played the iconic Red Power Ranger (Jason Lee Scott), visits Guayaquil for Comic Con.
By Rashel Goyes, for THE UNIVERSE
The phone call from a friend and former castmate motivated Austin St. John, better known as the Red Power Ranger, to return to the world of acting. It was in 2014, when St. John was in military service in the Midwest as a war medic and got the call from his friend Walter Jones, who played Zack, the black Power Ranger. The call was accurate and was about a convention, in which the cast would participate. The actor who gave life to Jason Lee Scott for the first time did not hesitate and at that moment he contacted his wife leaving the message: I will return home.
From then on, St. John left his service for several years to focus on touring and new film and series projects. Today, the first leader of the Power Rangers is in Ecuador for the fifth face-to-face edition of Comic Con, which takes place at the Guayaquil Convention Center.
In an interview with THE UNIVERSE, St. John, 47, recounts his life after the famous 1993 show and what he expects from his short stay at the comic book convention.
Your character, the red Power Ranger is one of the most loved and remembered in the series, how does it feel to put on the suit that made you famous worldwide?
They created Spider-Man in the sixties, many moons ago. Since then, many people have been able to wear the suit. Spider-Man started out as a comic and then was personified, the same thing happened with Batman and Superman. My show started in Japan, so there is a man who wore the suit before me. Outside of Japan, I was the first. Wearing the Power Rangers suit feels like a big responsibility to me because I have welcomed two to three generations who saw me and continue to see me on TV, and recognize me as part of the original cast. So I have a lot of responsibility in and out of the suit.
After this production, you were linked to other series and films with less exposure, why did you not continue working in this area?
I left the show and was homeless for a while. Then I finished high school, I got two college degrees, I finished my second degree in Emergency Medicine, and I didn’t actually come in contact with anyone from the program except for my good friend, Walter Jones, the black Power Ranger, who encouraged me to come back. . Since I am involved again in movies and series I have worked on several projects such as Three milks, Monsters at Large, A Walk with Grace and another that you can find on my website www.austinstjohn.biz, that I will remodel soon.
If you could have put another twist on your character, what would the story of the Red Power Ranger have been like?
I wouldn’t change a thing, I designed Jason as a role model representing my parents. My mother was a policeman, my father was in the navy and he was a military man. They were very strong and capable people, but at the same time they were calm. They never started fights, they always stood up for what they thought was right, and they never hesitated to do what they could to protect their family. I think that’s what I represented in Jason and ultimately made him the leader of the Power Ranger family; it was his job to protect them but also to support them and let them be the heroes that they were. Jason was not conceited nor did he think he was better than the others, he was humble and very capable. I don’t think I would change it, that was the essence of it.
The red Power Ranger was the leader of the group, however when the green Power Ranger appeared he was relegated, do you think that this character took away the prominence of yours?
No, what happened behind the scenes were negotiations with the owners of the show. So, they began to describe in the scripts the Green Power Ranger as stronger to make him the leader when they found out I would be leaving the show. It was a matter of a relay.
In your current daily life, have you ever been recognized for your work as an actor?
Yes, when I don’t wear a cap or don’t shave, I can’t go anywhere. It’s one of the reasons I have a beard, it’s short now, but I usually grow it long enough. That’s my camouflage in public even after 30 years people still recognize me. (E)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
