For kids who grew up in the '90s, the "Power Rangers" were an after-school staple. The franchise is far from forgotten, with a reboot on the big screen currently in the works. But fans of the original series, which aired from 1993 to 1996, will remember Amy Jo Johnson as Kimberly Hart, a.k.a the Pink Ranger.
Johnson tells "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" that "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" just so happened to be her first major audition after moving to Los Angeles. "I coached gymnastics for a little bit, then I just started auditioning," she says. "I had so much stage fright back then. I was a very insecure, nervous little girl -- but I could do flips, so I think that's part of the reason why I got the job."
Johnson and the other "Rangers" kicked, flipped and somersaulted their way into living rooms across the country. "I don't think anybody really realized how successful it would be," Johnson says. "It was sort of overnight that it suddenly was this huge success. And here we were, getting paid peanuts, not on union."
Though many actors dream of that kind of instant stardom, Johnson was taken aback. "We did one personal appearance at Universal Amphitheatre," she recalls. "I think it holds 4,000 people. We had to do seven shows that day because so many people came, showed up for this live show that we were going to do. I remember going home that night and having horrible, horrible, horrible nightmares. It scared the crap out of me. The amount of people who suddenly knew who I was, but I don't know who they are -- I think that really freaked me out."
Today, Johnson is married and has a daughter. "I've been very blessed and lucky to have this continuous career as an actor and I think it's been great as well that I've never really blown up. As my daughter says, I was never that big of a hit," she laughs. "Which is a bit perfect if you're kind of afraid of fame, anyway."
Though it's been 20 years since Johnson had donned the pink spandex suit, her fans are fiercely loyal. recently directed, wrote and co-starred in an indie film which was partially funded by "Power Rangers" fans on the crowdsourcing site Indiegogo.
"For the last five years I've started filmmaking," Johnson shares. "I've done three short films and I just finished my first feature film, which is called 'The Space Between.'"
The film is currently making its way through the indie circuit, but Johnson says she hopes to release it in theaters and online in 2017.
"I feel very, very lucky to have the career that I've had and work consistently," Johnson says. "I think that's pretty awesome and that's been such a blessing."
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