Audri DuBois, recognized for her role in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, has recently shared some startling insights regarding the challenging working conditions that existed on set during the filming of the 1993 pilot episode. Her personal account was featured in the third episode of Investigation Discovery’s docuseries titled Hollywood Demons, which is set to air on April 7, 2025.
Behind the Scenes of the Pilot Episode
In the original pilot, DuBois portrayed Trini Kwan, famously known as the Yellow Ranger. She later made way for actress Thuy Trang. In a sneak peek of the upcoming episode titled Dark Side of the Power Rangers, DuBois recounted how the extreme heat at their shooting location contributed to a serious incident involving a fellow actor.
During filming, the cast endured scorching temperatures of up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the desert, leading one actor—who was in a villain’s costume—to suffer a heatstroke. This alarming situation prompted the rest of the cast to call for an ambulance, as described by DuBois:
“When we were shooting the pilot, we were out in the desert; it’s got to be 110 degrees… He’s flopping around like a fish. Me and the others had come together and agreed we were not gonna continue shooting until this guy gets in an ambulance.”
Concerns Over Budget and Safety
DuBois elucidated that the production faced budgetary constraints and a tight filming schedule, resulting in staff offering $100 to anyone willing to don the ailing actor’s costume while medical help arrived. This incident deeply unsettled DuBois, as she felt the situation was profoundly inappropriate:
“It was offered to anyone there that they would get $100 if they took that man’s wetsuit off and put it on, so that we could continue shooting… I was watching that going, ‘What? This is not okay. It’s scaring me.'”
Insights from Tony Oliver on Working Conditions
Further shedding light on the harsh realities of production, Tony Oliver, the head writer for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, shared insights during the same docuseries. According to an April 4 article from Entertainment Weekly, Oliver indicated that the working conditions for the cast were demanding, with actors allegedly “contracted to work to death.”
Oliver revealed that despite union regulations stipulating a maximum of 10 hours of work per day, the cast often found themselves filming 12 to 14 hours daily. The physicality required by the roles added to the strenuous nature of the work:
“Basically, these contracts made it okay to work you to death… They’re not just sitting around saying lines. They’re jumping around; it’s very physical… Our shoot days were much longer; we shot 12 to 14 hour days where unions were eight to 10, so it could be a little abusive to the actors.”
What’s Next?
The intriguing third episode titled Dark Side of the Power Rangers is set to premiere on April 7, 2025, and can be streamed on Max.