'Power Rangers' Writer Claims He Was Unaware of Stereotypes When Casting Black, Yellow Rangers But Admits Choice Was 'Such a Mistake'
Tony Oliver, the former head writer for the show, spoke about the controversy in a new special.
Tony Oliver, a former head writer for 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,' has reflected on casting choices that has drawn retrospective criticism of the show.
Oliver spoke about racial casting choices in a new ID special called 'Dark Side of the Power Rangers,' claiming that none of the crew members were thinking of stereotypes when casting the Yellow Ranger as an Asian woman and the Black Ranger as a Black man.
"None of us [were] thinking stereotypes [when these casting decisions were originally made]," Oliver said on the special, according to Entertainment Weekly.
When the show debuted in 1993, Walter Emanuel Jones played the Black Ranger and Trini Kwan played the first Yellow Ranger.
Oliver claimed that he was unaware of the racial context until his assistant pointed it out to him one day.
"It wasn't until my assistant pointed it out in a meeting one day. It was such a mistake..." Oliver revealed.
The writer went on to explain the situation further, stating that they were looking for characters who fit the qualities of each of the rangers.
"The Black Ranger seemed to have the swagger of the group and the Yellow Ranger was the peaceful one, who tends to be the conscience of the group. [We] were looking for actors who had these qualities," Oliver added.
According to Entertainment Weekly, footage captured in the documentary by stunt coordinator Jeff Pruitt revealed that the cast was aware of the questionable casting decision and openly joked about it.
"My name's Walter Jones, I play Zack. I'm Black, and I play the Black Ranger — go figure," Jones said in one of the clips.
Kwan and Jones would go on to leave the show because of a pay dispute in the show's second season.
Fellow cast member Amy Jo Johnson, who was the first Pink Ranger in the show, said that the casting decisions made back in 1993 would not fly today in regard to Kwan and Jones.
"Walter Jones used to crack good-humored jokes about that. I think it's funny if it was done unintentionally by the big bosses. But really? Come on. It wouldn't happen today," Johnson said.
