Thuy Trang

{{Short description|Vietnamese actress (1973–2001)}} {{hatnote group| {{About|the actress|the musical artist|Trish Thuy Trang}} {{distinguish|Thuy Tran}} }} {{Good article}} {{Use American English|date=April 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox person | image = Thuy Trang.jpg | alt =  | caption = Trang in 1999 | birth_name =  | birth_date = {{Birth date|1973|12|14|mf=yes}} | birth_place = [[Ho Chi Minh City|Saigon]], South Vietnam | death_date = {{Death date and age|2001|9|3|1973|12|14|mf=yes}} | death_place = [[Bakersfield]], California, U.S. | resting_place = [[Rose Hills Memorial Park]] | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1993–2001 }} '''Thuy Trang''' (December 14, 1973 – September 3, 2001) was a Vietnamese actress based in the United States. She was known for portraying [[Trini Kwan]], the first Yellow Ranger, on the original cast of the television series ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]''. She appeared in 80 episodes from 1993 to 1994, which included the entire first season, and the first twenty episodes of the second.

Trang's father was a [[Army of the Republic of Vietnam|South Vietnamese army]] officer who fled the country in 1975 after the [[fall of Saigon]], leaving his family behind. When Trang was six, she and her mother and brothers boarded a cargo ship bound for [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]], a difficult journey during which Trang became very ill. They reunited with Trang's father in the United States in 1980 and settled in California. She enrolled at the [[University of California, Irvine]] to study [[civil engineering]], but switched her focus to acting after a talent scout spotted her. Trang was chosen for ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'', her first major role, after participating in an audition process that included about 500 actresses. Like the other cast members, Trang mostly portrayed her character in scenes when she was out of her Power Rangers uniform; the in-costume fight scenes were footage adapted from the long-running Japanese television series ''[[Super Sentai]]'', with Trang's voice dubbed over the action. She performed many of her own stunts, and was repeatedly hurt on the set.

Trang left ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'' in the middle of the second season, along with fellow cast members [[Austin St. John]] and [[Walter Emanuel Jones]], due to contractual and payment disputes and was replaced by [[Karan Ashley]] as a new Yellow Ranger named Aisha Campbell. She had a brief appearance in the film ''[[Spy Hard]]'' and played a lead villain in the film ''[[The Crow: City of Angels]]'', both in 1996. Trang had planned to appear in several films along with St. John and Jones, but none were ultimately made, as Trang died in a car crash at the age of 27.

==Early life== Trang Thùy was born in Saigon, South Vietnam (now [[Ho Chi Minh City]], Vietnam), on December 14, 1973,<ref name="OCR1118">{{cite news |title=Just who are these Rangers, anyway? |date=November 18, 1994 |work=[[Orange County Register]] |page=P42}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Efemérides de espectáculos del 14 de diciembre |publisher=[[Notimex]] |date=December 13, 2010 |language=es}}</ref> to father Ky Trang and mother Be Trang. She had two brothers and one sister.<ref name="Littlefield1204">{{cite news |last=Littlefield |first=Kinney |title=From quiet student at UCI to Hollywood ninja superhero |newspaper=[[Orange County Register]] |date=November 26, 1993 |page=P40}} - [https://web.archive.org/web/20220131155807/https://orangecountyregister.newspaperarchive.com/santa-ana-orange-county-register/1993-11-26/page-145/ See archive] at [[Newspaperarchive.com]] - Alternate copy: {{cite news|last=Littlefield|first=Kinney|title=Ex-student is now majoring in stardom|agency=[[Orange County Register]]|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|date=1993-12-18|page=E-3}} - [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93886864/ Clipping] from [[Newspapers.com]]</ref> Her father, a [[Army of the Republic of Vietnam|South Vietnamese army]] (ARVN) officer, was tasked with protecting Saigon from the [[Vietnam People's Army|North Vietnamese army]]. After the [[fall of Saigon]] in 1975, he was forced to leave his family behind and fled the country, immigrating to the United States.<ref>{{harvnb|Trang|1995|loc=13:16–13:24 "My father was in the Southern Army. So right after the fall of Saigon, he left and he came here in 1975."}}</ref> Trang and her family lived in a detention camp as her father petitioned the U.S. government for political asylum for his family. They fled Saigon when Trang was two years old.<ref name="Valdespino0205">{{cite news |last=Valdespino |first=Anne |title=Show Update: The Follow-Up File |work=[[Orange County Register]] |date=February 5, 1995 |page=f06}}</ref><ref name="Wallace0314">{{cite news |last=Wallace |first=Kate |title=Thuy Trang |date=March 14, 1995 |work=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |page=14}}</ref><ref name="Dalton1013">{{cite news |last=Dalton |first=Julie Carrick |title=Family fun: Power Rangers invade Hampton |work=[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press]] |date=October 13, 1994 |page=C1}}</ref>

[[File:Thuy Trang 1986 yearbook tennis photo.jpg|thumb|Trang at [[Phineas Banning High School]] in 1986 when she was thirteen years old]] In 1979 when Trang was five,<ref name="Valdespino0205" /><ref name="Wallace0314" /><ref name="Dalton1013" /> she and her family secretly boarded a [[cargo ship]] bound for [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]].<ref name="King1205">{{cite news |last1=King |first1=David B. |last2=Raker |first2=Bill |title=Winter Guide 2012: Silent Knights |work=[[Louisville Eccentric Observer]] |date=December 5, 2012 }}</ref> It was a very difficult journey, with people packed tightly due to limited space, lacking in food and water. The trip lasted about eight or nine months, and at least four people died.<ref>{{harvnb|Trang|1995|loc=13:33–13:41 "It was a very, very tough journey, actually. We were on the boat for eight or nine months. A few people died. Like about four people died. There were about 3,000 people on that ship. It was packed like sardines, there was no space. There was no food, there was no water."}}</ref> Trang went long periods of time without eating and fell ill, with her mother having to force food down her throat while she was unconscious to keep her alive. At one point, the other passengers wrongly believed Trang to be dead and wanted to throw her body overboard to make more room for the other refugees, but her mother prevented them from doing so.<ref name="Valdespino0205" /><ref name="Wallace0314" /><ref name="Dalton1013" /><ref>{{harvnb|Trang|1995|loc=13:50–14:32 "For days I didn't eat and everybody thought I was dead. And they wanted to throw me overboard. ... My mom was the one that fought and said no, that's my daughter. You can't throw her overboard. She literally just like put food down my throat. And that's how I stayed alive. And I came here."}}</ref> Trang's family and her father were eventually reunited in the United States in 1980,<ref name="OCR1118" /><ref>{{harvnb|Trang|1995|loc=13:25–13:30 "My family, my mother, and my siblings, we didn't come over until 1980."}}</ref> and settled in the city of [[Fountain Valley, California]].<ref name="Littlefield1204" />

Trang did not speak English upon first arriving in the United States and had to learn it.<ref name="Trang1603">{{harvnb|Trang|1995|loc=15:32–15:45 "To all the people out there, just live out your dreams. If you dream something, just pursue it and do it because if you put your mind to it, you can do basically anything and everything you want to. I mean, look at me. I came from a country that was falling apart because of communism, and escaping to America, not knowing the language and then learning it from beginning, and overcoming that and where I am now, it just shows you that if you put your mind to it you can do anything you want to."}}</ref> Trang began studying [[Shaolin Kung Fu|Shaolin kung fu]],<ref name="Trang1502">{{harvnb|Trang|1995|loc=15:02–15:31 "I study kung fu with Shaolin. It's really good because it builds a lot of character and it makes me stronger as a person, especially going through all the stuff I went through, coming over here to America. It just teaches me a lot about who I am and what I am and about respect, discipline, patience, and perseverance, and endurance, and all that."}}</ref> and eventually received a [[Black belt (martial arts)|black belt]].<ref name="OCR0204">{{cite news |title=People |work=[[Orange County Register]] |date=February 4, 1995 |page=a02}}</ref> Trang said of studying kung fu:<ref name="Trang1502" />

<blockquote>It's really good because it builds a lot of character and it makes me stronger as a person, especially going through all the stuff I went through, coming over here to America. It just teaches me a lot about who I am and what I am, and about respect, discipline, patience, and perseverance, and endurance.</blockquote>

Trang's father died in 1991<ref name="Valdespino0205" /> when she was 18. She graduated from [[Phineas Banning High School|Banning High School]] in the [[Wilmington, Los Angeles|Wilmington]] neighborhood of [[Los Angeles]],<ref name="OCR1118" /> and enrolled at the [[University of California, Irvine]] to study [[civil engineering]], planning to follow her father and siblings into the field.<ref name="OCR1118" /><ref name="Littlefield1204" /><ref name="Valdespino0205" /> Trang's hobbies included playing tennis, jogging, and reading romance novels.<ref name="OCR1118" /><ref name="Wallace0314" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Giles |first1=Fiona |last2=Tedeschi |first2=Claire |title=Parent alert – Can you resist the power of the Rangers? |work=[[The Age]] |date=October 1, 1994 |page=30}}</ref> She also had a dog named Nia.<ref name="Wallace0314" /> Trang switched her focus to acting after a chance run in with a talent scout while hanging out with friends. This led to an introductory acting class at UCI in 1992 where she was spotted for a commercial for the [[Church of Scientology]], even though she herself was a [[Buddhist]].<ref name="Littlefield1204" /><ref name="King1205"/><ref name="West0322">{{cite news |last=West |first=Amy |work=[[International Business Times]] |title=What happened to the original Power Rangers? Here's what the Red Ranger and co are doing now |date=March 22, 2017 |url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/what-happened-original-power-rangers-heres-what-red-ranger-co-are-doing-now-1612919 |access-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617162824/https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/what-happened-original-power-rangers-heres-what-red-ranger-co-are-doing-now-1612919 |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Trang, the first person in her family to study acting,<ref name="Littlefield1204" /> said she intended to later finish her education despite undertaking an acting career.<ref name="Littlefield1204" /><ref name="Valdespino0205" />

==Career== ===''Power Rangers''=== Trang earned her first major role in 1993, as [[Trini Kwan]], the Yellow Ranger in the original cast of the TV series ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]''.<ref name="Gomez1120">{{cite magazine |last=Gomez |first=Patrick |title=The original ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'' look back on life in spandex 25 years later |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=November 20, 2018 |url=https://ew.com/tv/2018/11/20/original-mighty-morphin-power-rangers-untold-stories-25-years-later/ |access-date=June 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190615185127/https://ew.com/tv/2018/11/20/original-mighty-morphin-power-rangers-untold-stories-25-years-later/ |archive-date=June 15, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Her agent arranged for her to participate in an audition process that included about 500 actresses of various races.<ref name="Trang1433">{{harvnb|Trang|1995|loc=14:33–15:01 "My agent in Hollywood sent me out on the audition and it was like about 500 people were there for the part of Trini. I don't know if they knew what they wanted. But there were like Caucasian girls, black girls, and Asian girls. By process of elimination, it came down to like 10 girls, and then five girls, and then three girls. And then I was lucky enough to get the part."}}</ref> Casting director Katy Wallin said the day of Trang's screen test, "Thuy was so nervous that she almost couldn't complete her final callback."<ref name="Zahed20">{{Harvnb|Zahed|Revenson|2018|p=20}}</ref> She was paired with [[Jason David Frank]], the martial arts instructor and actor who went on to portray the Green Ranger [[Tommy Oliver]], during the audition.<ref name="Gomez1203">{{cite magazine |last=Gomez |first=Patrick |title=The original Power Rangers share memories of Yellow Ranger Thuy Trang, who died at age 27 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=December 3, 2018 |url=https://ew.com/tv/2018/12/03/yellow-power-ranger-thuy-trang-dead-remembered-cast/ |access-date=June 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621031613/https://ew.com/tv/2018/12/03/yellow-power-ranger-thuy-trang-dead-remembered-cast/ |archive-date=June 21, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Evans1204">{{cite news |last=Evans |first=Gavin |title=Original Power Rangers Remember the Late Thuy Trang: 'She Was Such a Bright Light' |work=[[Verizon Hearst Media Partners|Complex Media]] |date=December 4, 2018 |url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2018/12/original-power-rangers-remember-late-thuy-trang |access-date=June 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621032654/https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2018/12/original-power-rangers-remember-late-thuy-trang |archive-date=June 21, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> It took place before a room of about 20 executives and required each actor to read the part and present their physical skills. Wallin told Trang to run into the room screaming, jump onto the audition table, and perform a karate move. Trang did so, then quietly stepped off the table, did her reading, and walked out of the room. Wallin said of her screen test: "I loved her and was very proud of her fearless approach to becoming the Yellow Ranger."<ref name="Zahed20" /> The pool of finalists for the part was narrowed down to 10 actresses, then five, then three, before Trang was finally selected.<ref name="Trang1433" />

The role was originated by actress Audri Dubois in the [[Day of the Dumpster|pilot episode]] before Trang took over the part.<ref name="Gomez1120" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Van Luling |first=Todd |title=11 Behind The Scenes Stories You've Never Heard Before From The Original Power Rangers |work=[[HuffPost|The Huffington Post]] |date=December 6, 2017 |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/power-rangers-interview_n_6004472 |access-date=June 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616212728/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/power-rangers-interview_n_6004472 |archive-date=June 16, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Johnson|2012|loc=10:06–10:12 "Then they ended up replacing Audri with Trang. So, that was the only shift within the group."}}</ref> After securing the role, Trang moved from Fountain Valley to Los Angeles to be closer to the set of the show, which she found to be a major adjustment.<ref name="Littlefield1204" /> Trang described her character as having "quick hands and a peaceful soul",<ref name="Maffly1121">{{cite news |last=Maffly |first=Brian |title=Mighty Power Ranger 'morphs' into Salt Lake |work=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]] |date=November 21, 1994 |page=A1}}</ref> and felt the character was inspiring for viewers who have long desired an Asian superhero: "Asians are not portrayed in the media very well, and there are not many roles for Asian people except for the stereotypes – gangsters, hookers, things like that. A lot of older Asian people come up to me and say that I'm doing a service to the Asian community."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Moore |first=Scott |title='Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' beats the odds to make TV schedule |work=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |date=December 20, 1993 |page=1}}</ref>

While Trang and the other cast members appeared in scenes with the characters out of the Power Rangers costumes, the in-costume fight scenes were footage adapted from the long-running Japanese television series ''[[Super Sentai]]''. In that series, the Yellow Ranger was a male character, but the American show producers wanted more female characters in their cast, so they changed the character to a female during out-of-costume scenes and dubbed Trang's voice over the male actor's performance in the Japanese scenes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Slotek |first=Jim |title=Buzz // What's going on in showbiz |date=January 11, 1995 |newspaper=[[Toronto Sun]] |page=56}}</ref><ref name="Seemayer1006">{{cite news |last=Seemayer |first=Zach |title=7 Surprising Things You Never Knew About The 'Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers' |publisher=[[Entertainment Tonight]] |date=October 6, 2014 |url=https://www.etonline.com/tv/152144_7_surprising_things_you_never_knew_about_the_mighty_morphin_power_rangers |access-date=June 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831112733/https://www.etonline.com/tv/152144_7_surprising_things_you_never_knew_about_the_mighty_morphin_power_rangers |archive-date=August 31, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> This is why the Yellow Ranger costume does not have a skirt like the Pink Ranger, who was female in both the Japanese and American versions of the show.<ref name="Seemayer1006" /> The decision to put Trang, an Asian American actress, into the role of Yellow Ranger has received criticism and been the subject of jokes due to the connotation of [[List of ethnic slurs#Y|yellow]] as an ethnic slur. Producers have said that race had nothing to do with colors of the costumes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Chow |first=Kat |title=If We Called Ourselves Yellow |publisher=[[NPR]] |date= September 27, 2018}}</ref>

Trang appeared in 80 episodes in the series,<ref name="Gomez1120" /><ref name="SFC1112">{{cite news |title=Three Morphins go on to mightier things |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=November 12, 1994 |page=D4}}</ref><ref name="OCR1110">{{cite news |title=People |work=[[Orange County Register]] |date=November 10, 1994 |page=a02}}</ref><ref name="HC1127">{{cite news |title=TV mailbag |work=[[Houston Chronicle]] |date=November 27, 1994 |page=9}}</ref> which included the entire first season and a portion of the second season.<ref name="West0322" /> Trang performed many of her own stunts.<ref>{{cite news |last=Storm |first=Jonathan |title=The Power of 'Power Rangers' |work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |date=December 14, 1993 |page=F01}}</ref> She jogged and exercised regularly during her time on the show to stay in shape, and received training from martial arts experts on the set,<ref name="Littlefield1204" /> including Jason David Frank.<ref name="Zahed20" /> New to the acting profession, Trang said she learned a great deal during her time on the show: "I'm finding that acting is all about being honest and truthful in every moment. The camera is so close that it sees everything, so if you're truthful and honest, the audience will know."<ref name="Littlefield1204" /> She believed the show conveyed positive messages to children, particularly about teamwork and having self-confidence.<ref name="Littlefield1204" /> Trang became close friends with co-star [[Amy Jo Johnson]], and the two would often have slumber parties at each other's houses. They were together when the [[1994 Northridge earthquake]] struck, which badly frightened both women, but they were forced to go to the studio for filming that day anyway; no scenes were ultimately shot because the crew did not arrive.<ref>{{harvnb|Johnson|2012|loc=33:20–33:28 "We got really close at a certain point in our life where we were sleeping over each other's house. And, the big earthquake... We were having a slumber party. She was sleeping over and, oh my God, we went through that earthquake together, me and her. We thought nuclear war was happening. We did! We didn't know what was happening. It was crazy! And how crazy is our job? Okay, so the earthquake happens, alright, the morning of the earthquake, they called us into work. We do gown there, we ended up not shooting because the crew didn't show up, but..."}}</ref> Trang was repeatedly hurt on the set of the show, and often had to be physically carried by others during shooting because of injuries. Jason David Frank said of her injuries: "She put her all into the scenes, so sometimes things happen."<ref name="Gomez1203" /><ref name="Evans1204" />

Trang left ''Power Rangers'' in the middle of the second season, along with fellow cast members [[Austin St. John]] and [[Walter Emanuel Jones]],<ref name="Valdespino0205" /> due to contractual and payment disputes.<ref name="Gomez1120" /><ref name="Hunt0614">{{cite news |last=Hunt |first=James |title=Whatever happened to the original Power Rangers? |publisher=[[Dennis Publishing|Den of Geek]] |date=June 11, 2015 |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/whatever-happened-to-the-original-power-rangers/ |access-date=June 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726213902/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/power-rangers/35691/whatever-happened-to-the-original-power-rangers |archive-date=July 26, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Zahed40">{{Harvnb|Zahed|Revenson|2018|p=40}}</ref> The actors were receiving non-union pay,<ref name="Gomez1120" /><ref name="Mendoza1111">{{cite news |last=Mendoza |first=Manuel |title=Flying colors – 'Rangers' replacements hail from Dallas area |work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |date=November 11, 1994 |page=34A}}</ref> in the amount of about $60,000 per year without any compensation for merchandising for the show, which was estimated to be worth about $1 billion. Trang, St. John, and Jones were all represented by agent Ingrid Wang,<ref name="Fleming0726">{{cite news |last=Fleming |first=Michael |title=Waging war on pay is risky for popular 'Power Rangers' |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=July 26, 1994 |page=29}}</ref> and they requested more compensation and union recognition.<ref name="King1205" /><ref name="Gomez1120" /><ref name="Fleming0726" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Ask Stacy |work=[[The Star-Ledger]] |date=January 29, 1995}}</ref> Amy Jo Johnson later expressed regret that she and the other cast members did not join the three departing cast members in calling for union wages and recognition, wondering if all of them standing together may have led to a different result.<ref>{{harvnb|Johnson|2012|loc=33:20–33:28 "In hindsight, I wonder if we all banded together. I wonder what would have happened. I wonder if we would've become union. I don't know. I don't know."}}</ref> Within the show, the actors' departure was explained by their characters being chosen as representatives in an international "Peace Conference" in Switzerland.<ref name="Maffly1121" /><ref name="HC1127" /><ref name="Hunt0614" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Steven Cole |title=Three from 'Power Rangers' are doing live shows, movies |work=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |date=December 11, 1994 |page=E}}</ref> Trang, St. John, and Jones released a joint statement about their departure:<ref name="Smith1119">{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Steven Cole |title=ABC movie trots out twins to double your family fun |work=[[Austin American-Statesman]] |date=November 19, 1994 |page=B8}}</ref><ref name="Valdespino1118">{{cite news |last=Valdespino |first=Anne |title=Television: Three of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers pass the magic on to new heroes |work=[[Orange County Register]] |date=November 18, 1994 |page=P41}}</ref><ref name="Belcher1121">{{cite news |last=Belcher |first=Walt |title=Kids hunger for knowledge of Rangers |work=[[The Tampa Tribune]] |date=November 21, 1994 |page=4}}</ref>

{{Cquote|After two seasons as the ''Power Rangers'', we would now like to move forward to the many new opportunities that have been presented to us. Our ''Power Rangers'' experience will always remain an exciting and important part of our lives and careers, and it is gratifying that through our participation in the show, we were able to touch the lives of so many young people.}}

"Opposites Attract", the 20th episode of season two, was the final ''Power Rangers'' episode in which Trang personally appeared; her character appears in episodes 21 through 28, but only in costumed form and not portrayed by Trang.<ref name="Zahed40" /> Trang's character's departure was explained in the two-part episode "The Power Transfer", in which the powers of the Red, Black, and Yellow Rangers are transferred to new characters using an ancient magical artifact called the Sword of Light.<ref name="SFC1112" /><ref name="OCR1110" /><ref name="Valdespino1118" /> Archival and deleted footage of St. John, Jones, and Trang were used in these episodes. Trang was replaced as the Yellow Ranger by [[Karan Ashley]],<ref name="Mendoza1111" /><ref name="Valdespino1118" /><ref name="Jubera1122">{{cite news |last=Jubera |first=Drew |title=On Television – Preview – "Grace Under Fire |work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |date=November 22, 1994 |page=B/10}}</ref> who was chosen from an audition process that included 4,000 actors in five cities seeking the three vacated roles.<ref name="Zahed40" /><ref name="Smith1119" /><ref name="Valdespino1118" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Heath |first=Mary |title=Go, go Power Rangers! The television show that defined my childhood |work=[[Charleston Gazette-Mail|Charleston Gazette]] |date=July 1, 2006 |page=P9D}}</ref> [[Jackie Marchand]], a writer and producer with the series, said the departure of the three actors was "a difficult shift, and it was pretty intense at the office".<ref name="Zahed40" /> [[Margaret Loesch]], president of [[Fox Kids|Fox Children's Network]], released a statement about Trang and the other departing actors: "We will always consider them part of the ''Power Rangers'' family."<ref name="SFC1112" /><ref name="HC1127" /> Trang said of her departure: "The show was great, it gave me a lot of experience; but it's time to move on, and I'm focusing on doing feature films and becoming more serious of an actress."<ref>{{harvnb|Trang|1995|loc=15:32–15:45 "The show was great, it gave me a lot of experience; but it's time to move on, and I'm focusing on doing feature films and becoming more serious of an actress."}}</ref>

===Post-''Power Rangers''=== On January 4, 1995, Trang and her ''Power Rangers'' co-stars St. John and Jones hosted an informational session about martial arts at the [[United States Capitol]] building in [[Washington, D.C.]], where they taught basic techniques to [[Newt Gingrich]] and other members of the [[United States House of Representatives]] from the [[104th United States Congress]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Sign of the times |date=January 2, 1995 |work=[[The Washington Times]] |page=C13}}</ref> Trang and St. John were interviewed on ''The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts'', a 1995 documentary that explored the history of Asian martial arts and the role they have played in the Hollywood film industry.<ref name="Valdespino0205" /> Trang made cameo appearances in martial arts videos made by St. John and Jones.<ref name="West0322" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Griffith |first=Mary Jo |title=Main Event: St. John shows off his de-Zorded powers |work=[[Orange County Register]] |date=August 22, 1995 |page=F02}}</ref> Trang, St. John, and Jones also planned to unite for a live touring stage and arena show.<ref>{{cite news |title=Namedropping |work=[[The Patriot-News]] |date=November 10, 1994 |page=A2}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Celebrity |work=[[Boston Herald]] |date=November 11, 1994 |page=017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=People |date=November 10, 1994 |work=[[South Bend Tribune]] |page=C18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Newsmakers |work=[[Houston Chronicle]] |date=November 11, 1994 |page=2}}</ref> She made a guest appearance at the Little Saigon Tet Festival, an event honoring Vietnamese culture, in [[Westminster, California]], on February 4, 1995. During the festival, she spoke about her time on ''Power Rangers'', other aspects of her career, and her experiences trying to break into film and television as an Asian-American actress.<ref name="OCR0204" />

Trang's first film role was a [[manicurist]] in the 1996 movie ''[[Spy Hard]].''<ref name="West0322" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Hollywood Q&A |work=[[The Recorder and Times]] |date=July 26, 2008 |page=W2}}</ref><ref name="Willis60">{{Harvnb|Willis|Monush|2000|p=60}}</ref> Trang was mistakenly credited as playing a [[masseuse]] in the film; her screen credit was accidentally switched with Tara Leon, who played a masseuse in the same short but was credited as a manicurist.<ref name="Willis60" /> Trang later played a lead villain, Kali, in the feature film ''[[The Crow: City of Angels]]'', also released in 1996.<ref name="King1205" /><ref name="WCMH">{{cite news |title=Original 'Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers' debuted 25 years ago today |publisher=[[WCMH-TV]] |date=August 28, 2018 |url=https://www.nbc4i.com/news/u-s-world/original-mighty-morphin-power-rangers-debuted-25-years-ago-today/ |access-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617163300/https://www.nbc4i.com/news/u-s-world/original-mighty-morphin-power-rangers-debuted-25-years-ago-today/ |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Holden |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Holden |title=Of Winged Justice and Revenge Through Pecking |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 31, 1996 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/08/31/movies/of-winged-justice-and-revenge-through-pecking.html |access-date=June 18, 2019}}</ref> She was not cast until very late in the pre-production process, right before filming began.<ref>{{harvnb|Everberg|2001|loc=16:12–16:19 "This is a custom illustration for Kali, who also was not cast until the very last minute."}}</ref> Trang played Kali, a member of a gang led by notorious drug kingpin Judah Earl, who killed the protagonist, mechanic Ashe Corven, and his eight-year-old son after they witnessed Judah's henchmen murdering a fellow drug dealer. Trang's character was killed by a resurrected Corven after a fight scene.<ref name="Macdonald1202">{{cite news |last=Macdonald |first=Dougal |title=Gothic, With No Charm |work=[[The Canberra Times]] |date=December 2, 1996}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Vice |first=Jeff |url=https://www.deseret.com/1996/9/5/19263994/crow-sequel-is-bird-of-another-feather/|title='Crow' sequel is bird of another feather |work=[[Deseret News]] |date=September 5, 1996 |page=C7}}</ref> Dougal Macdonald, a writer with ''[[The Canberra Times]]'' who was otherwise critical of the film, described Trang as "deliciously evil".<ref name="Macdonald1202" /> Other reviewers were more negative about Trang's performance: ''[[The Advocate (Louisiana)|The Advocate]]'' writer John Wirt called her "a flop",<ref>{{cite news |last=Wirt |first=John |title=Crow's sleek Gothic look doesn't save weak story |work=[[The Advocate (Louisiana)|The Advocate]] |date=September 6, 1996 |page=18}}</ref> and Jon Bowman of ''[[The Santa Fe New Mexican]]'' said her "sneer is her most pronounced feature".<ref>{{cite news |last=Bowman |first=Jon |title=The curse of The Crow continues |work=[[The Santa Fe New Mexican]] |date=September 6, 1996 |page=30}}</ref>

A cameo appearance by the Trini Kwan character was written in an early draft of ''[[Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie]]'' (1997), but Kwan's scene was never filmed.<ref name="Hunt0614" /> Trang had planned to appear in several films in the mid-1990s along with her ''Power Rangers'' co-stars St. John and Jones, including ''Cyberstrike'',<ref name="Maffly1121" /><ref name="Mendoza1111" /><ref name="Smith1119" /><ref name="Valdespino1121">{{cite news |last=Valdespino |first=Anne |title=Show's stars morph away to new projects |work=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |date=November 21, 1994 |page=6D}}</ref> ''Act of Courage'', and ''Children of Merlin'',<ref name="SFC1112" /><ref name="Mendoza1111" /><ref name="Valdespino1121" /><ref>{{harvnb|Trang|1995|loc=15:46–16:03 "There are a few projects that are on the way, and hopefully we'll start production on one of the big ones that all of us are doing. It's called ''Children of Merlin'', it will be starring the three of us. So we're really excited about that."}}</ref> the latter of which was to be developed by [[Landmark Entertainment Group]].<ref name="Smith1119" /><ref name="Valdespino1118" /><ref name="Jubera1122" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Original SNL writer, actor dies |work=[[Tampa Bay Times]] |date=November 10, 1994 |page=12C}}</ref> None of the three films were ultimately made. Additionally, Trang was expected to appear in a TV show called ''The Adventures of Tracie Z'', which also never came to fruition, though a pilot was apparently filmed.<ref name="Maffly1121" /><ref name="Mendoza1111" /><ref name="Belcher1121" /><ref name="Jubera1122" /><ref name="Valdespino1121" />

==Death== {{Quote box |quoted=true |bgcolor=#ffeeaa |salign=right |width=250px |align=right | quote=I was so shocked. I remember calling Thuy's voicemail a few times after I found out just to hear her voice and leave her a message saying I'll miss her. Learning about her early childhood and everything she and her family went through leaving Vietnam, becoming refugees and immigrating to the United States, I admired her and her family's strength to rebuild their lives here. I'll always remember her great laugh and infectious smile. |source='''[[David Yost]]'''<ref name="Gomez1203" />}} On September 3, 2001, Trang was traveling with her friend, actress and model [[Angela Rockwood]], for whose upcoming marriage to [[Dustin Nguyen]], where Trang was set to be a bridesmaid.<ref name="Gomez1203" /> They were passengers in a car traveling on [[Interstate 5]] between San Jose and Los Angeles.<ref name="Gomez1203" /><ref name="Gallin0416">{{cite news |last=Gallin |first=Janet |title=Actress and producer Angela Rockwood pushes ahead for everyone's good |work=[[The San Francisco Examiner]] |date=April 16, 2015}}</ref> The driver, another bridesmaid named Steffiana de la Cruz, struck loose gravel in a groove along the side of the road and lost control of the vehicle.<ref name="Gomez1203" /><ref name="Gallin0416" /> The car swerved violently across the road, hit the roadside rock face,<ref name="Gomez1203" /><ref name="Evans1204" /><ref name="Gallin0416" /> flipped several times before hitting the safety rail and plunging over the bank and into a second rock face.<ref name="Evans1204" /><ref name="Seemayer1006" /> Rockwood was thrown 35 feet out of the car and survived,<ref name="Gallin0416" /> but her spinal cord was severed and she was rendered [[Tetraplegia|paraplegic]].<ref name="Gallin0416" /> De La Cruz also survived the crash.<ref name="West0322" /><ref name="Seemayer1006" /> Trang suffered internal injuries and died whilst in a helicopter which was transporting her to the hospital.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Big Question |work=[[The Sunday Mail (Brisbane)|The Sunday Mail]] |date=August 25, 2013 |page=G12}}</ref>

Trang's body was [[cremated]] a week later on September 10, which was when her death was first reported, and her ashes were either scattered or interred at [[Rose Hills Memorial Park]] in [[Whittier, California]], though there is no headstone for her.<ref>{{cite web | title=Thuy Trang memorial news report | website=[[YouTube]] | date=September 16, 2007 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBvigm6rZyU }}</ref> Her ''Power Rangers'' co-stars [[Amy Jo Johnson]] and [[David Yost]] attended the funeral and memorial service.<ref>{{Cite episode |series=[[KTTV|Fox 11 News]] |last=Breckenridge |first=Lisa |author-link=Lisa Breckenridge |station=[[KTTV]] |date=September 10, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Johnson|2012|loc=27:13–27:22 "And then I got that phone call from Walter. Then me and David went down to her funeral and... It was just devastating. It was awful."}}</ref> Fellow co-stars [[Walter Emanuel Jones]] and [[Austin St. John]] also sent condolences.<ref name="Gomez1203" /> Jones said of Trang: "It hurt my heart to lose her. She was way too young and had so much more to share with the world. ... Her energy drew you in, and her smile made your heart feel safe."<ref name="Gomez1203" /> Johnson said: "I'll always remember her spunky, strong personality. She was such a bright light. It's hard to believe she's gone."<ref name="Gomez1203" /><ref name="Evans1204" /> The episode "Circuit Unsure" of ''[[Power Rangers Time Force]]'', the first ''Power Rangers'' episode to air after her death, was dedicated to Trang's memory, as was the 2023 special ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always]]'', which was also dedicated to [[Jason David Frank]], who had died by suicide in November 2022.<ref name="Hunt0614" />

==Legacy== In the [[Power Rangers (film)|2017 film adaptation of the original series]], the Trini Kwan character, portrayed by singer [[Becky G]], has a scene wearing a T-shirt with "1973" on it, the year of Trang's birth, as an homage to the original actress.<ref>{{cite news |title=Movie Review: Power Rangers |work=[[Theweek]] |date=March 29, 2017}}</ref> [[Austin St. John]], Trang's co-star from the original series, said of the new film: "One of the hardest roles for me to accept was Trini's role because Thuy is gone now. It would be tough for me to see anybody in that role."<ref>{{cite news |last=Cronin |first=Seanna |title=Original Power Ranger sees red |work=[[Tweed Daily News]] |date=April 22, 2017 |page=A20}}</ref> Some fans were offended by marketing posters for the film that they considered disrespectful to Trang's memory. The promo showed an image of the Becky G's Yellow Ranger standing on her Zord, along with the text "Driver's Ed not required." Several fans responded on the social media platforms [[Facebook]] and [[Twitter]] that the message was offensive because Trang died in a car crash,<ref name="Portman0922">{{cite news |last=Portman |first=Phillip |title=Power Rangers movie mocks star who died in car crash |work=[[Daily Star (United Kingdom)]] |date=September 22, 2016 |url=https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz-tv/hot-tv/547486/Power-Rangers-movie-jokes-about-Thuy-Trang-car-crash-death-new-promo-Becky-G |access-date=June 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702093600/https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz-tv/hot-tv/547486/Power-Rangers-movie-jokes-about-Thuy-Trang-car-crash-death-new-promo-Becky-G |archive-date=July 2, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Anisiobi0922">{{cite news |last=Anisiobi |first=John James |title=Power Rangers movie faces backlash from fans over insensitive tag-line on posters over dead actress |work=[[Daily Mirror]] |date=September 22, 2016 |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/power-rangers-movie-faces-backlash-8889175 |access-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617165850/https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/power-rangers-movie-faces-backlash-8889175 |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Gallagher1006">{{cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Brian |title=Why Are Fans So Angry Over This Power Rangers Poster? |publisher=[[MovieWeb]] |date=October 6, 2016 |url=https://movieweb.com/power-rangers-poster-angry-fans-thuy-trang-death/ |access-date=June 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216003742/https://movieweb.com/power-rangers-poster-angry-fans-thuy-trang-death/ |archive-date=February 16, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> with some users replying with the hashtag "#JusticeforThuy".<ref name="Portman0922" /><ref name="Anisiobi0922" /> The official Twitter account of the ''Power Rangers'' franchise removed the posts in response to the criticism, although international distributor [[Entertainment One Films|eOne Films]], which had also released the same tweets, did not remove them.<ref name="Gallagher1006" />

The film ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always]]'', which was produced to celebrate the franchise's 30th anniversary, is dedicated to the memory of Trang and Jason David Frank. The special was written and filmed with Trang's legacy in mind and focuses on the aftermath of the 1993 series' in-universe death of Trini Kwan. Frank died while the film was in production, leading to the use of additional stock footage and a joint dedication.<ref>{{cite news |last1=April 19 |first1=Patrick Gomez |title='Power Rangers' reunion honors Yellow and Green Ranger actors with song by Amy Jo Johnson |url=https://ew.com/tv/power-rangers-once-and-always-netflix-reunion-special-honors-yellow-green-ranger-song/ |access-date=23 April 2023 |work=EW.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://screenrant.com/mighty-morphin-power-rangers-once-always-interview/ | title=David Yost & Walter Emanuel Jones on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always | website=[[Screen Rant]] | date=26 April 2023 }}</ref>

==Filmography== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1993–1994 | ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]''<ref name="Gomez1120" /> |rowspan=3|[[Trini Kwan]] | Lead role; [[List of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers episodes|80 episodes]] |- | 1994 | ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (video game)|Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]''<ref>{{cite web |title=Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1994) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183515/ |publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]] |access-date=August 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190907061944/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183515/ |archive-date=September 7, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{better source needed|date=July 2023}} | Video game; Voice |- |1994 |''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Alpha's Magical Christmas'' |Video short (archival footage) |- | 1994 | ''Walter Jones Hip Hop Dance Video'' | Herself | |- | 1995 | ''Austin St John's Martial Art's Video'' | Herself | |- | 1995 | ''Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Stars''<ref name="Valdespino0205" /> | Herself | |- |rowspan=2| 1996 | ''[[Spy Hard]]''<ref name="West0322" /> | Manicurist | |- | ''[[The Crow: City of Angels]]''<ref name="King1205" /> | Kali | (final film role)

|- | 2023 | ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always]]'' | Trini Kwan | (posthumous role; archival audio) |}

==See also== *[[List of Vietnamese actors]] *[[List of Vietnamese Americans]]

==References== === Citations === {{reflist|30em}}

=== General bibliography === * {{cite AV media |last=Everberg |first=Kirsten |date=March 20, 2001 |title=The Crow: City of Angels – Production and Costume Design Featurette |medium=Documentary |language=en |publisher=[[Miramax]] }} * {{cite podcast |last=Johnson |first=Amy Jo |author-link=Amy Jo Johnson |url=http://awwman.com/nps/main/2012/09/transcript-of-episode-151-interview-with-amy-jo-johnson/ |publisher=No Pink Spandex |title=Episode 151: Interview with Amy Jo Johnson |date=September 17, 2012 |access-date=June 23, 2019 }} * {{cite AV media |last=Trang |first=Thuy |year=1995 |title=Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Stars |medium=Documentary |language=en |publisher=Unknown Video }} * {{cite book |last1=Willis |first1=John |last2=Monush |first2=Barry |title=Screen World: 1997 Film Annual |volume=48 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield|Applause Theatre & Cinema Books]] |date=February 1, 2000 |isbn=1557833206 }} * {{cite book |last1=Zahed |first1=Ramin |last2=Revenson |first2=Jody |title=Power Rangers: The Ultimate Visual History |publisher=Insight Editions |date=November 6, 2018 |isbn=978-1683830221 }}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|0870962}} * [http://www.thuytrangtribute.com ''Thuy Trang Tribute'' fan site] {{Subject bar|portal1=Biography|portal2=Religion|portal3=Martial arts|portal4=United States|portal5=Vietnam|portal6=Television|commons=y|q=y|d=y}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trang, Thuy}} [[Category:1973 births]] [[Category:2001 deaths]] [[Category:2001 road incidents]] [[Category:20th-century Vietnamese actresses]] [[Category:21st-century Vietnamese actresses]] [[Category:Actresses from Ho Chi Minh City]] [[Category:Actresses from Los Angeles]] [[Category:Actresses of Vietnamese descent]] [[Category:American Buddhists]] [[Category:American wushu practitioners]] [[Category:Burials at Rose Hills Memorial Park]] [[Category:Phineas Banning High School alumni]] [[Category:Road incident deaths in California]] [[Category:University of California, Irvine alumni]] [[Category:Vietnamese emigrants to the United States]] [[Category:Vietnamese film actresses]] [[Category:Vietnamese refugees]] [[Category:Vietnamese television actresses]] [[Category:Vietnamese wushu practitioners]]