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Walter Emanuel Jones

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Walter E. Jones
Walter E. Jones in 2014
Born (1970-11-30) November 30, 1970 (age 54)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • martial artist
  • singer
  • dancer
Years active1990–present

Walter Emanuel Jones (born November 30, 1970), also known as Tre Emanuel, is an American actor, martial artist, singer and dancer, known for playing the role of Zack Taylor, the original Black Ranger on the hit television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.[1][2]

He also appeared in successful television shows including Family Matters, Step by Step, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Moesha, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Early Edition, NYPD Blue, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Off Centre and The Shield.

He played in films including Backyard Dogs (2000), House of the Dead 2 (2005), Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) and House Party (2023).

He gave his voice talent to animated films including Open Season 2 (2008) and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013).

Life and career

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Jones was born and raised in Detroit.[3] He lost the middle finger on his left hand at the age of 4.[4] He began his career with an uncredited role in the successful TV show Beverly Hills, 90210. In 1992, he took part in the Malcolm X film.

Jones played the character of Zack Taylor, the original "Black Power Ranger" in the Power Rangers series. He was written out of the series midway through the second season, after a contract and pay dispute, and was replaced by Johnny Yong Bosch as the Black Ranger.[5] Jones returned to Power Rangers in the Lost Galaxy season (1999) where he played the voice of Hexuba's Nightmare Monster in the episode "Dream Battle"; he also acted in an episode of Power Rangers: Wild Force (2002) entitled Forever Red in which many previous Red Rangers teamed up. Again, he did not appear as his original character, Zack, but rather provided the voice for one of the antagonists, a general in the Machine Empire named Gerrok. He was also one of the special commentators, along with fellow co-star Amy Jo Johnson, on the "1993" episode of I Love the '90s. He also reunited with Austin St. John (with whom he formed a close friendship during their time together on the show) as co-host for a special airing of the original pilot episode of Power Rangers called "The Lost Episode". In 2023, he reprised the role of Zack Taylor for the first time since leaving the show in 1994 in the Netflix special, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Power Rangers franchise.[6]

Jones was the very first actor to do voicework for any character other than a Ranger (mainly for monsters or villains) on a Power Rangers show after having a role as a Ranger himself. Other former Rangers who would do voicework after Jones included Archie Kao, Catherine Sutherland, Jason Faunt, Valerie Vernon, Sean Cw Johnson and Johnny Yong Bosch.

Jones was a lead character in the teen drama Malibu Shores playing "Mouse". Jones also had major roles in the independent film The Dogwalker. He has appeared in other well-known productions, including a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the season 4 episode "Fear, Itself" and the Disney Channel Original Movie, Brink!.[7] He also appeared as Harlan Band in the Nickelodeon series Space Cases,[8] his second role as a main character and as a teenager. He guest starred in an episode of Family Matters as Kissel, and portrayed a supporting character in the first season of The Shield named Rondell Robinson, a drug dealer. He had a small role in the film Suckers in which he played a character named Clay. He also appeared in many successful TV shows including Family Matters, Step by Step, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Moesha, Early Edition, NYPD Blue, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Off Centre. Additionally, he played a small role in the film House of the Dead 2 as "locker zombie". Jones also had a cameo appearance in the film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

Jones also had a major role in the backyard wrestling film Backyard Dogs, which spent time as the lowest-rated film on IMDb. As of July 2007, it is no longer on the list as it was straight-to-video. Jones voiced characters in the successful animated films Open Season 2 (2008) and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013).

He appeared briefly as a salsa dance instructor on Age of Love. He also appeared in Mighty Med and as a poet in an episode of Disney XD's Pair of Kings. Additionally Jones has also been featured in a PetSmart commercial and a Bank of America commercial as well. In 2002, he appeared in the film Love and a Bullet. In 2016, he appeared in the film Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping and the short film Star Trek : Captain Pike.

In January 2019, he starred in The Order alongside Austin St. John, Catherine Sutherland, David Yost, Johnny Yong Bosch, Paul Schrier, Karan Ashley, Steve Cardenas, Erin Cahill, Blake Foster, Nakia Burrise, Hilary Shepard Turner, Dan Southworth, Alyson Sullivan, Deborah Estelle Phillips and Azim Rizk.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

In 2021, he starred in the 7th episode of the second season of the series Boomerang.[17] The same year, he acted in the dramatic film Memoirs of a Fighter alongside Eric Roberts and Tara Reid.[18]

In 2023, he was one of the actors in the House Party.[19] The film was released for VOD on January 31, 2023, and was released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 14, 2023.[20] On June 11, 2023, he released his debut single "Dance" under the stage name "Tre Emanuel".[21]

Filmography

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Jones in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in 2016
Films
Year Title Role Notes
1992 White Men Can't Jump Guy On Watts Sideline Uncredited
Malcolm X Barber's Customer
1998 Talisman Jack Fine
The Gardener Punk
Brink Boomer
2000 6Pat 2 Unknown
Backyard Dogs Lee Takura
2001 Suckers Clay
2002 American Gun J.B.
Love and a Bullet Cisko
Move Chester / Chakou / Cyrus
2005 House of the Dead 2 Locker Zombie Uncredited
2008 Open Season 2 Unknown Voice
2009 Steps Toward The Sun Cowboy #2
2012 Speed Demons Terrance
2013 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Additional Voices
2016 Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Angry Fan
Star Trek: Captain Pike Captain Sean Davis
2017 The Order[22] Cole
2018 Miller's Justice League Mortal[23] Documentary
2023 House Party Himself Cameo
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always Zack Taylor / Black Power Ranger 30th Anniversary Special
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1990 Beverly Hills, 90210 Guy In Hall
1993–1994 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Zack Taylor / Black Power Ranger Starring role (79 Episodes)
1994 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Alpha's Magical Christmas Video short (archival footage)
1995 Step by Step Joe
The Parent 'Hood Jared King
Family Matters Kissel
1996 Malibu Shores Michael "Mouse" Hammon 10 episodes
1996–1997 Space Cases Harlan Band Main role, 27 episodes, 2 seasons
1997 The Burning Zone Marcus Dawson
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Dolrimple
1998 Brink! "Boomer" Television film (Disney Channel)
1999 Early Edition "Crazy H"
Mutinerie "Shorty" Television film
In the House Walter
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Edward
Power Rangers Lost Galaxy Nightmare Monster
Power Rangers: The Lost Episode Himself / Zack Taylor Co-host / Co-star (original pilot)
2000 NYPD Blue Raymond Young
2001 Moesha Jay 2 episodes
Spyder Games Dean 4 episodes
2002 Off Centre "Cheddar"
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Street Racer
Power Rangers Wild Force Gerrok Voice
Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe In Santa Ricky Rogers Voice, television film
2003 The Shield Rondell Robinson 4 episodes
2011 Prime Suspect Randall Hughes
2012 Pair of Kings "Tough Poet"
2013 Mighty Med Doctor

References

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  1. ^ "Interview With Original Black Power Ranger, Walter Emanuel Jones - ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. 2013-07-11. Retrieved 2013-08-12.
  2. ^ Dargis, Manohla (September 13, 2002). "Movie Review; Hard-Boiled 'Dogwalker' Turns Into a Charmer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 August 2011.[dead link‍]
  3. ^ Pevos, Edward (August 15, 2021). "The original Black 'Power Ranger' reminisces on his Michigan roots, born and raised". MLive. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  4. ^ Daniel, Sherryn (11 October 2012). "My exclusive interview with Walter Emanuel Jones, the original Black Power Ranger Part 1". Sharing the Details. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Whatever Happened to the Original Power Rangers?". 11 June 2015. Retrieved 2016-09-22.
  6. ^ Gomez, Patrick (17 January 2023). "Original 'Power Rangers' stars reunite for 30th anniversary Netflix special". EW.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Brink! (1998)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2013-08-12.
  8. ^ Space Cases Intro. YouTube. Retrieved on 2012-06-18.
  9. ^ "The Order". 1 January 2000 – via IMDb.
  10. ^ "Power Rangers Actors Reunion Film "The Order" Revealed". 18 May 2016. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016.
  11. ^ "Primer tráiler de 'The Order', el sorprendente reencuentro del reparto de la serie 'Power Rangers'". 18 May 2016.
  12. ^ "[Movie] The Order".
  13. ^ Jefferson, Corey (19 May 2016). "'The Order,' Cast Entirely With Former Power Rangers, Is Basically 'Power Rangers: Civil War'".
  14. ^ "A Dream Team Of Former Power Rangers Assemble For A Dark New Action Movie 'The Order'". June 2016.
  15. ^ "The Power Rangers are Back in "The Order" - Ace of Geeks". 18 May 2016.
  16. ^ "The Order - Atores de Power Rangers em novo filme". 30 May 2016.
  17. ^ Boomerang tv series on imdb.com.
  18. ^ Memoirs of a fighter on imdb.com.
  19. ^ House Party on imdb.com.
  20. ^ Lovell, Kevin (January 30, 2023). "'House Party'; The New Film Arrives On Digital January 31 & On Blu-ray & DVD February 14, 2023 From Warner Bros". Screen-Connections. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  21. ^ "Dance" – a TRE EMANUEL Music Project (lyric video), retrieved 2023-06-20
  22. ^ The Order at IMDb
  23. ^ "Walter Jones". IMDb.
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