David Yost

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David Yost

Born January 7, 1969 (1969-01-07) (age 39)
Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S.A.

David Harold Yost (born January 7, 1969) is an American actor known for his role on the television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Contents

[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 B.A. in communication and dramatic arts. He moved to California with hopes of becoming an actor and auditioned for a role in the Power Rangers series only three months after arriving. He won the part of Billy Cranston, the computer-literate Power Ranger.

[edit] Power Rangers

Yost starred in more than two hundred 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, and later the Wolf. Yost's most high-profile work was his appearance in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, which took in over thirty million dollars at the box office in 1995. The movie was in theatres between the second and third seasons of M.M.P.R. 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. 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. When Trey was injured and had to temporarily transfer his powers, Billy was the obvious choice to step forward. However, this was yet another tease, as Billy was unable to take the powers due to negative energy he absorbed bending over a damaged console during the destruction of the Rangers' Command Center. Trey 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 vocal 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.

Yost was originally intended to appear in the movie, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, as Billy and have a vital part in the making 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 squabble and no longer mentioned, such footage, if ever produced, is unlikely to be seen.

[edit] Post-Power Rangers work

In 1995, Yost had a minor role in the film Ladykiller. In 2000, he portrayed a Playboy photographer in the made for T.V. movie After Diff'rent Strokes: When the Laughter Stopped. He also was an associate producer for another made for T.V. 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 A.P.L.A. (A.I.D.S. Project Los Angeles). The play was about six actors dealing with the A.I.D.S. virus in different various situation. 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 U.K. documentary series called You Are What You Eat. Yost plans on continuing his producing and eventually wants to act on screen again. He currently resides in Roseville, California.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Film

[edit] TV

[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)

[edit] External links

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