#SHOWBIZ: Medical doctor to Green Power Ranger: The remarkable journey of Jason Chan

New Straits Times

2 days ago

SINGAPORE: More than two decades after he first appeared as the Green Samurai Ranger, Jason Chan continues to captivate fans who grew up watching him.
In a CNA report, the 54-year-old Malaysia-born Australian, who played the fan-favourite character in Power Rangers Ninja Storm (2003), shared a recent encounter on a bus where a man, recognising him, confessed, "You were such a big part of my life growing up."
Chan's portrayal of Cameron Watanabe stood out for many Asian viewers.
At a time when Asian representation on television was scarce, seeing an Asian superhero on screen—especially one as "sarcastic, tough, and edgy" as the Green Ranger—was particularly empowering.
Interestingly, before becoming an actor, Chan was on a completely different path.
After his family moved from Kuala Lumpur to Perth, Australia, when he was five, he followed a conventional route, enrolling in medical school.
However, a gruelling internship year made him realise it wasn't the right fit.
He recalled sitting alone at 3am after a 16-hour shift, questioning his life's direction.
"There's nothing creative in this at all," he remembered thinking.
Seeking a creative outlet, he began taking acting classes at night.
This new passion was so strong that he would stay up until the early hours of the morning talking about it with friends.
It was during this time that he realised his true calling.
Although he graduated with a medical degree and worked as a doctor for three years, he eventually left the profession to pursue a full-time Bachelor's programme at the renowned National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney.
He paid his way through school by working as a locum doctor on weekends.
Chan was told by an auditioner that it was rare to encourage someone to leave a "good profession" for the "horrible" world of acting.
But the auditioner said some people are born to act, and if they don't express what they have to say, it will bother them for the rest of their lives.
That resonated with him, cementing his decision.
The Green Ranger role, which he landed a year after graduating from acting school, became a global launchpad for his career.
When asked if he regretted leaving medicine, Chan's answer was an emphatic no.
He said the transition was "incredibly easy" because he was "miserable on one side and so incredibly happy" living in a run-down house with no money while at acting school.
More than 20 years later, the show's impact remains.
Chan still owns his original Green Ranger costume, though he admits it no longer fits.
After his Power Rangers season concluded, he moved to Singapore in 2006.
Here, his career flourished, as he found he was being considered for leading roles in local productions like the film The Leap Years and a stage musical.
This was a welcome change from the often stereotypical roles offered to Asian actors in Australia.
In 2009, he and fellow actor Christian Lee co-founded a video production company, BananaMana Films. Their passion project, the web series Perfect Girl, won multiple awards and was eventually acquired by Netflix, becoming the first Singaporean drama on the global streaming giant.
Building on that success, they produced the award-winning feature film Jimami Tofu in 2017.
Chan's enduring passion for creativity has led to his latest venture, Cinewav, an audio-tech firm that provides high-quality, synchronised audio for outdoor screenings.
The technology allows audiences to stream sound from their phones, eliminating the need for large speakers and reducing noise complaints.
"We always look back and go: 'look where we were five years ago, look where we were 10 years ago…' And we've come this far," he said.