Thuy Trang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thuy Trang
Trang in 2000
Born	(1973-12-14)December 14, 1973 Saigon, South Vietnam
Died	September 3, 2001(2001-09-03) (aged 27) Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Resting place	Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, California
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1981–2001

Thuy Trang (born December 14, 1973 – died September 3, 2001) was a Vietnamese-American actress. She became famous for playing Trini Kwan, the first Yellow Ranger, in the TV show Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. She took over the role from another actress who played Trini in the pilot episode.

Thuy Trang's father was a soldier in South Vietnam. He had to leave his country in 1975. When Thuy was six, she, her mother, and brothers traveled by cargo ship to Hong Kong. This was a very hard trip, and Thuy became very sick. They met her father in the United States in 1980 and made their home in California. Thuy first studied engineering in college. But she changed to acting after a talent scout noticed her.

Thuy Trang was chosen for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. This was her first big acting job. About 500 actresses tried out for the part. Thuy mostly played her character when Trini was not in her Power Ranger uniform. The fight scenes with the costumes were from a Japanese TV show called Super Sentai. Thuy's voice was added over the action. Thuy Trang was in 80 episodes of the show. This included all of the first season and part of the second. She did many of her own stunts and sometimes got hurt on set.

Thuy Trang left Mighty Morphin Power Rangers during the second season. Two other actors, Austin St. John and Walter Emanuel Jones, also left. This was because of disagreements about their contracts and pay. Karan Ashley then became the new Yellow Ranger, named Aisha Campbell. Thuy Trang later had a small role in the movie Spy Hard (1996). She also played a main villain in the film The Crow: City of Angels (1996). Thuy Trang sadly died in a car crash when she was 27 years old.

Thuy Trang's Early Life and Journey

Thuỳ Trang was born in Saigon, South Vietnam, on December 14, 1973. This city is now called Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Her parents were Ky Trang and Be Trang. She had two brothers and one sister. Her father was a soldier who had to leave Vietnam in 1975. He moved to the United States. Thuy and her family lived in a camp while her father asked the U.S. government for help.

In 1979, when Thuy was five, she and her family secretly got on a cargo ship. They were going to Hong Kong. The journey was very tough. Many people were crowded together, and there was little food or water. The trip lasted about eight or nine months. Thuy became very ill and almost died. Her mother had to force her to eat to keep her alive. Other passengers thought Thuy had died and wanted to throw her body overboard. But her mother stopped them. Thuy's family and her father finally met again in the United States in 1980. They settled in Fountain Valley, California.

When Thuy first arrived in the U.S., she did not speak English. She had to learn the language. Thuy also started learning Shaolin kung fu. She later earned a black belt.

Thuy's father passed away in 1992 when she was 18. She finished high school in Los Angeles. Then she went to the University of California, Irvine (UCI). She planned to study civil engineering, like her father and siblings. Thuy enjoyed playing tennis, jogging, and reading. She also had a dog named Nia. Thuy changed her mind about engineering after meeting a talent scout. This led her to take an acting class at UCI in 1992. She was then chosen for a commercial. Even though she was a Buddhist, the commercial was for the Church of Scientology. Thuy was the first in her family to study acting. She said she still wanted to finish her education later.

Thuy Trang's Acting Career

Becoming a Power Ranger

Thuy Trang got her first big role in 1993. She became Trini Kwan, the Yellow Ranger, in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Her agent helped her try out for the part. About 500 actresses auditioned. The casting director, Katy Wallin, said Thuy was very nervous during her final tryout. She tried out with Jason David Frank, who played the Green Ranger. They had to read lines and show their physical skills. Wallin told Thuy to run into the room screaming. Then she had to jump on a table and do a karate move. Thuy did it, then calmly read her lines and left. Wallin was very proud of Thuy's brave tryout. Thuy was chosen from a small group of finalists.

The screen credits for Thuy Trang on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, showing Trang as Trini Kwan (left) and the Yellow Ranger (right).

Another actress, Audri Dubois, first played Trini in the pilot episode. After getting the role, Thuy moved to Los Angeles. She wanted to be closer to the show's set. Thuy said her character, Trini, had "quick hands and a peaceful soul." She felt Trini was inspiring for Asian viewers. Thuy said there were not many good roles for Asian people in media.

Thuy and the other actors played their characters when they were not in costume. But the fight scenes with the Power Rangers costumes were from a Japanese show called Super Sentai. In that show, the Yellow Ranger was a boy. But the American producers wanted more girls in their cast. So, they made the character a girl when out of costume. They used Thuy's voice over the male actor's performance. This is why the Yellow Ranger costume does not have a skirt, unlike the Pink Ranger. The Pink Ranger was a girl in both the Japanese and American shows. Some people have joked about casting an Asian-American actress as the Yellow Ranger. But the producers said race had nothing to do with the costume colors.

Thuy was in 80 episodes of the series. This included the entire first season and part of the second. Thuy did many of her own stunts. She exercised regularly to stay in shape. She also got training from martial arts experts on set. Thuy was new to acting. She said she learned a lot while on the show. She believed the show taught kids good lessons about teamwork and self-confidence. Thuy became good friends with her co-star Amy Jo Johnson. They often had sleepovers. Thuy sometimes got hurt on set. Jason David Frank said she gave her all to the scenes.

Leaving Power Rangers and Later Roles

Thuy Trang left Power Rangers during the second season. Her co-stars Austin St. John and Walter Emanuel Jones also left. This was because of disagreements about their contracts and pay. The actors were not getting union pay. They were paid about $60,000 a year. They did not get paid for merchandise, which was worth a lot of money. Thuy and the others asked for more money and union recognition. Within the show, their characters were said to be chosen for a "Peace Conference" in Switzerland.

"Opposites Attract" was Thuy's last episode where she appeared in person. Her character, Trini, still appeared in later episodes. But she was only seen in costume and not played by Thuy. Trini's departure was explained in a two-part episode called "The Power Transfer." In this episode, the Red, Black, and Yellow Rangers' powers were given to new characters. Old footage of Thuy and the other actors was used in these episodes. Karan Ashley replaced Thuy as the Yellow Ranger. She was chosen from 4,000 actors. The president of Fox Children's Network said Thuy and the others would always be part of the Power Rangers family. Thuy said she learned a lot from the show. But she wanted to move on and act in movies.

After Power Rangers, Thuy Trang and her co-stars Austin St. John and Walter Emanuel Jones hosted a martial arts session. This was at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., in 1995. They taught basic moves to members of Congress. Thuy also appeared in a documentary about martial arts in Hollywood. She made small appearances in martial arts videos by St. John and Jones. Thuy also planned to be in a live stage show with them. She visited a Vietnamese culture festival in California in 1995. There, she talked about her time on Power Rangers and her career as an Asian-American actress.

Thuy's first movie role was a manicurist in the 1996 film Spy Hard. She then played a main villain named Kali in The Crow: City of Angels, also in 1996. This was her last film role. Thuy had planned to be in several other movies with her Power Rangers co-stars. These movies were never made. She was also expected to be in a TV show called The Adventures of Tracie Z, but it also did not happen.

Thuy Trang's Passing

On September 3, 2001, Thuy Trang was 27 years old. She was traveling with her friend, Angela Rockwood. Thuy was going to be a bridesmaid in Angela's wedding. They were passengers in a car driving on Interstate 5 in California. They were coming back late at night from visiting a friend. The driver, another bridesmaid, lost control of the car. The car hit a rock face, flipped over, and went down a bank. It then hit another rock face. Thuy Trang was badly hurt inside. A helicopter came to take her to the hospital. But she died while being taken there.

Thuy Trang's body was cremated a week later on September 10. Her ashes were either scattered or buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park in California. Her Power Rangers co-stars Amy Jo Johnson and David Yost went to her funeral. Jason David Frank could not go because his brother had also passed away. But he sent his sympathy to Thuy's family. Walter Emanuel Jones and Austin St. John also sent their condolences. Jones said Thuy was too young to die and had so much more to share. Johnson said she would always remember Thuy's strong personality. An episode of Power Rangers Time Force was dedicated to Thuy's memory.

Thuy Trang's Legacy

In the 2017 Power Rangers movie, the character Trini Kwan wears a T-shirt with "1973" on it. This was the year Thuy Trang was born. It was a way to honor the original actress. Austin St. John, who worked with Thuy on the original show, said it was hard for him to see anyone else play Trini. This was because Thuy was gone.

In September 2016, some fans were upset by posters for the new Power Rangers movie. They felt the posters were disrespectful to Thuy's memory. One poster showed the Yellow Ranger with the words "Driver's Ed not required." Many fans on Facebook and Twitter said this was offensive. This was because Thuy died in a car crash. Some users used the hashtag "#JusticeforThuy." The official Power Rangers Twitter account removed the posts because of the criticism.

Film and TV Roles

Images for kids

• 

  Thuy Trang in 2000

• 

  The screen credits for Thuy Trang on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, showing Trang as Trini Kwan (left) and the Yellow Ranger (right).

See also

In Spanish: Thuy Trang para niños