| Karan Ashley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Karan Ashley Jackson September 28, 1975 Odessa, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
Karan Ashley (born September 28, 1975) is a former American actress.
Ashley was born Karen Ashley Jackson[1] in Odessa, Texas. She graduated from David W. Carter High School in Dallas, Texas. In 1992, she was a member of the short-lived girl group K.R.U.S.H, who contributed a song to the soundtrack of Mo' Money. She was known as "Ashley Jackson" at this time.[2]
Ashley's first acting job was as Aisha Campbell, the second Yellow Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, replacing Thuy Trang (Trini Kwan). Staying on for two years, Ashley left the show in 1996. She was replaced by Nakia Burrise (Tanya) for Power Rangers: Zeo. Her last Power Rangers appearance was in the finale for the third season of the series. Ashley has said that her decision to leave the series was because of the demanding hours. She also reveals that she was to be given an exiting story arc, just as Amy Jo Johnson was, but instead, following time off while her character was reduced to a child for some time in the third season, she would find that she was not asked to return to the set, the official reason given was that her character's recovery would not require her to appear on screen.
Since then, Ashley has made guest appearances in TV shows such as Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Kenan & Kel, and The Parkers, just to name a few, and acted in a few minor films like Taylor's Wall. Her first big debut as, editor and executive producer was the independent film Devon's Ghost, alongside fellow Power Ranger alumnus Johnny Yong Bosch and executive producer Koichi Sakamoto for Gag Order Films, Inc. While she also co-wrote Devon's Ghost, her first writing staple came with the film Unto Thee in 1997. She co-wrote the film with Gia and Tim Grace, and also starred in the movie.
In August 2010, Ashley was invited to Power Morphicon, the second Power Rangers fan convention in Pasadena, California. As of September 2011, Ashley joined internet based Talk Radio Show Unscripted Radio With Mike and Jeff as a regular Co-Host.