David Yost
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| David Yost | |
 David Yost at the funeral of former Mighty Morphin Power Rangers co-star Thuy Trang |
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| Born | January 7, 1969 (age 38) Council Bluffs, Iowa, USA |
| Notable roles | Billy on MMPR |
David Harold Yost (born January 7, 1969 or 1971) is an American actor known for his role on the television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Yost was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa and moved around throughout the United States, winning many gymnastics competitions nationally, most notably the state championships Iowa and Montana. In 1991, graduated from Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa with a BA in communications and dramatic arts. He moved to California with hopes of becoming an actor and auditioned for a role in the Power Rangers series just 2 months after arriving. He won the part of Billy Cranston, the computer-literate Power Ranger.
[edit] Power Rangers career
Yost starred in more than 200 episodes of the show's first four seasons. He was the only Ranger to appear in every single episode of the original series, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers playing the part of the Blue Ranger, Billy Cranston, with the power of the Triceratops. Only Paul Schrier as Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier and Jason Narvy as Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch would wind up having more Power Rangers episodes credits. As other actors around him left the show, he remained a constant throughout the first three seasons.
Yost's most high-profile work was his appearance in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, which took in over $30 million at the box office in 1995. The movie was in theaters between the second and third seasons of MMPR and would lead to new Ninja Ranger powers for the following season.
After Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ended and Power Rangers: Zeo began in the fourth season, Yost stayed as Billy Cranston, but Cranston's role within the show changed. Instead of his previous role as a Power Ranger, he became a technical advisor to the others. It is not entirely known why the switch was made and why he wasn't offered a role as a Power Ranger for the fourth season of the show. Later, when the Gold Zeo Ranger was introduced, the audience was teased into believing Billy might be the new Gold Ranger; however, it was eventually revealed that the Gold Ranger was not Billy, but instead was Trey of the planet Triforia who then transferred the power to Jason, the former Red Ranger, marking the return of actor Austin St. John to the show.
Yost eventually left the show toward the end of the Power Rangers: Zeo season, reportedly due to his dissatisfaction with the pay he was receiving in his reduced role. The character's final episode, Rangers of Two Worlds, employed footage from previous episodes as well as voice-over work from a separate, uncredited actor, to conceal the fact that Yost was not present during the taping. A tribute to the Blue Ranger and Billy was seen in the closing credits of this last Billy episode.
David was originally intended to appear in the movie, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, as Billy and have a vital part in the creation of the new Power Rangers power that came after Zeo, that being the Turbo Rangers. But since he was quickly removed from the show in the financial squable and no longer mentioned, such footage, if it was ever produced, is unlikely to be seen.
[edit] Post-Power Rangers career
In 1995, Yost had a minor role in the film Ladykiller. In 2000, he portrayed a Playboy photographer in the made for TV movie After Diff'rent Strokes: When the Laughter Stopped. He also was an associate producer for another made for TV movie,"The Mary Kay Letourneau Story" that same year. In 2001, he first tried his hand at producing, working on the series Alien Hunter and Temptation Island, but has not been seen in front of the camera in some four years. He worked as the director of production for Sci-Fi Lab, headed by the Sci-Fi Channel. Yost then was the manager of licensing for Pioneer Entertainment where he sold completed television shows and films to such networks as Showtime, Starz/Encore and Cartoon Network.
In 2002, Yost performed in a play called "Fallen Guardian Angels" at "the complex" located in Los Angeles for APLA (AIDS Project Los Angeles). The play was about six actors dealing with the AIDS virus in different various situations. The proceeds went to benefit The Children's Hospitals AIDS Center. The entire production raised over $25,000 and Yost himself raised $5,000 for the hospital and received good reviews from LA Weekly Theatre. In 2004, he worked as a field producer for a UK documentary called You Are What You Eat. Yost plans on continuing his producing and eventually wants to act on screen again.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Film
- After Different Strokes: When the Laughter Stopped (2000) (TV) .... Playboy Photographer
- Ladykiller (1996/I) .... Josh White
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) .... Billy Cranston/The Blue Ranger
[edit] TV
- "Power Rangers: Zeo"(1996) TV Series .... Billy Cranston
- It Came from Angel Grove (1996) .... William Von Hackensack
- "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" (1993) TV Series .... Billy Cranston/The Blue Ranger
- Blue Ranger Gone Bad (1995) .... Billy/Blue Ranger Clone
- Wild West Rangers: Part 1 (1995) .... William - Blue Wild West Ranger
- Wild West Rangers: Part 2 (1995) .... William - Blue Wild West Ranger
- Mighty Morphin' Mutants (1994) .... Blue Mutant Ranger (voice)
- A Bad Reflection on You (1993) .... Evil Billy
[edit] Producer
- "You Are What You Eat" (2004) TV Series (field producer)
- "Temptation Island" (2001) TV Series (associate producer)
- "Alien Hunter" (2001) TV Series (producer)
- After Diff'rent Strokes: When the Laughter Stopped (2000) (TV) (associate producer)
- The Mary Kay Letourneau Story (2000) (TV) (associate producer)
[edit] Miscellaneous Crew
- Revisiting 'Fail-Safe' (2000) (V) (special thanks)
