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Amy Jo Johnson

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This article is about the American actress. For the British aviator, see Amy Johnson.

Amy Jo Johnson
Johnson in 2019
Born (1970-10-06) October 6, 1970 (age 54)
Hyannis, Massachusetts, U.S.
Citizenship
  • United States (1970–present)
  • Canada (2015–present)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • musician
  • filmmaker
Years active1993–present
Known for
Spouse
Olivier Giner
​
​
(m. 2009; div. 2017)​
Children1

Amy Jo Johnson (born October 6, 1970) is an American and Canadian actress, musician, and filmmaker. As an actress, Johnson is best known for her roles as Kimberly Hart on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993–1995), Julie Emrick on Felicity (1998–2000), and Jules Callaghan on Flashpoint (2008–2012).

Her credits as a director include the short films Bent (2013) and Lines (2014), along with two feature-length films, The Space Between (2016) and Tammy's Always Dying (2019).[1][2] In music, Johnson has released three studio albums: The Trans-American Treatment (2001), Imperfect (2005), and Never Broken (2013), with her original music being featured on Felicity, Flashpoint, and in other productions.

Early life

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Amy Jo Johnson was born on October 6, 1970, in Hyannis, Massachusetts, the daughter of Greig Johnson Sr., a car salesman, and Christine Johnson (d. 1998), a clothing store manager. She has two siblings, a brother and a sister.[3] Though born in Hyannis, Johnson grew up in Dennis, Massachusetts, and attended Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School.[4] As a child, she studied gymnastics.

Career

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Acting

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Johnson moved to New York City at 18 to pursue an acting career. She attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She later moved to Los Angeles to audition for her first part.

Johnson's breakthrough role came a little over six months after she moved to Los Angeles, when she was selected to portray Kimberly Hart, the Pink Ranger, in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the first installment of the Power Rangers franchise. Her time during the series also included her first film, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. Despite the series being a huge success and having brought Johnson international recognition as an actress, the show brought her little financial security, as she and the others were paid only $600 a week for their work on the show, which included stunt work, and public appearances; none of the cast received any royalty payments from re-runs of episodes they appeared in.[5] During Johnson's time with the franchise, whose productions were non-union and not subject to safety codes standardized in union contracts, Johnson faced multiple instances of danger of physical harm; while filming the television series, she was almost set on fire during a stunt, and during Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, she was almost electrocuted.[6][7] Johnson ultimately made the decision to leave the show in 1995, passing the role of the Pink Ranger to Australian actress Catherine Sutherland. In an appearance on I Love the '90s, Johnson jokingly stated that having been the Pink Power Ranger was something she would "never live down." In later years, Johnson stated that becoming famous from the show was at times overwhelming and had given her nightmares, but that overall, she learned many things and is grateful to the show and her fans.[8][9][10][11] In all, Johnson has appeared in 138 episodes and 3 films in the franchise. She, alongside former co-star Jason David Frank, made a cameo appearance in the 2017 film Power Rangers, though not as a Power Ranger. In January 2023, Johnson announced that she had declined to reprise the role of Kimberly Hart in the 30th anniversary Power Rangers special, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always, on Netflix but that she wished the special and her former co-stars well while also saying that she had other fun things in store for her fans that year.[12] Two months later, she denied claims that money was the sole reason why she chose not to participate in the special.[13] In the fourth quarter of 2023, it was announced Johnson would release a four--issue comic book series as her gift to the fans for the 30th anniversary Power Rangers celebration, titled Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return, distributed by Boom! Studios.[14]

Johnson in 2000

After she left the series in November 1995, Johnson went on to star in Disney Channel's Susie Q and in the Saved by the Bell: The New Class episode "Backstage Pass." In 1997, she starred in NBC's adaptation of Lois Duncan's novel Killing Mr. Griffin and played a gymnast with an eating disorder in Perfect Body. Johnson also participated in the film Without Limits. She also reprised her role as Kimberly Hart in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie.

In September 1998, Johnson was invited to play Julie Emrick in The WB series Felicity. She held a main role on Felicity for three seasons and was a special guest in its fourth and final season.

In the early 2000s, Johnson had roles in Interstate 60, Pursuit of Happiness, and Infested, as well as television film Hard Ground. She also had guest starring roles on Spin City and ER. In 2004, she starred as Stacy Reynolds in the fourth season of The Division. In the latter half of the decade, she had recurring roles in Wildfire and What About Brian, and she starred in television films Magma: Volcanic Disaster on Syfy and Fatal Trust on Lifetime. In addition, Johnson took parts in a few independent films: Veritas, Prince of Truth and Islander.

Beginning in 2008, Johnson became a series regular on Flashpoint as Constable Jules Callaghan, a member of the fictional Strategic Response Unit of the Toronto Police service.[15] She was nominated for a Gemini Award for her performance. The show aired new episodes through 2012.

Since 2012, Johnson has had guest roles on a few shows including a recurring role as Hayley Price in the Universal spy drama series Covert Affairs.

Directing

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Johnson has directed and produced two acclaimed short films: Bent (2013) and Lines (2014).[16][17] She then went on to direct the feature film The Space Between.[18] In 2018, she began working on her next film, Tammy's Always Dying.[19] The movie received praise from critics, particularly for Huffman's and Phillips' performances.[1][20] It is available at video on demand release on May 1, 2020.[21]

She is a member of Film Fatales, a non-profit organization that advocates for women's parity in the entertainment industry. In mid-2021, she announced she would be directing an episode of Superman & Lois for the show's second season.[22][23]

Music

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Johnson is a singer-songwriter and has released three albums: The Trans-American Treatment (2001), Imperfect (2005), and Never Broken (2013).[24] She has performed in the Los Angeles area with the Amy Jo Johnson Band. In December 2007, she contributed guest vocals to Koishii & Hush's cover of The Cars track "Since You're Gone", which was released as a single. The song is also part of the album Souvenirs, released in 2008.[25]

Some of Johnson's music has been featured on television shows. Johnson's character in Felicity was originally described as a dancer, but with Johnson's input, the producers rewrote the character as a singer and guitarist. As a result, Johnson was able to perform her own song, "Puddle of Grace", on the show. This song was included in the album Felicity Soundtrack (1999) successfully released by Hollywood Records. As a result of the reception of the song, another Johnson song, "Clear Blue Day", was also featured on the show. In The Division, her song "Cat in the Snow" is the theme song from one of the episodes. In Flashpoint, her songs "Dancing In-Between" and "Goodbye" were featured.[26]

In 2013, she performed the song "God" in her movie Bent.[27] In 2014, her song "Lines" had featured in her short film Lines.[28] Her 2017 song "Cracker Jacks" was the theme song from the movie The Space Between.[29]

Personal life

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Johnson was married to Olivier Giner. The couple married in 2009 but filed for divorce in 2017.[30] They have one child, a daughter born in 2008.[31] Johnson resides in Toronto, Canada, and became a Canadian citizen on June 23, 2015, making her a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.[32]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1995 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie Kimberly Hart
1997 Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie Kimberly Hart
1998 Without Limits Iowa's Finest
1999 Cold Hearts Alicia
2001 Liars Club Karen
Pursuit of Happiness Tracy
2002 Infested Jesse
Interstate 60 Laura
2006 Islander Cheryl
2007 Veritas, Prince of Truth Marty Williams
2011 Summer Song Jenni
2012 Tiger Eyes Gwen Wexler
2013 Coming Home for Christmas Wendy O'Brien Direct-to-video
2016 The Space Between Amelia Also director, writer and producer
2017 Power Rangers Angel Grove citizen Cameo
2019 Tammy's Always Dying N/A Director

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1993–1995 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Kimberly Hart / Pink Ranger Main role
1995 The Eddie Files Cindy Episode: "The Counting Principle: Eddie in Barbieland"
1996 Saved by the Bell: The New Class Linda Episode: "Backstage Pass"
Susie Q Susie Quinn / Maggie Television film
1997 Killing Mr. Griffin Susan McConnell Television film
Perfect Body Andie Bradley Television film
1998–2000, 2002 Felicity Julie Emrick Main role (seasons 1–3); guest (season 4)
1999 Sweetwater Nansi Nevins Television film
2001 ER Jill Episode: "Partly Cloudy, Chance of Rain"
Night Visions Sara Episode: "Rest Stop/After Life"
2002 Spin City Stephanie Episode: "Sex, Lies and Video Date"
2003 Hard Ground Elizabeth Kennedy Television film
2004 The Division Stacy Reynolds Main role (season 4)
I Love the '90s Herself 1 episode
2005–2007 Wildfire Tina Sharp Recurring role (seasons 1–3)
2006 Fatal Trust Kate Television film
2006 Magma: Volcanic Disaster Brianna Chapman Television film
What About Brian Karen 3 episodes
2008–2012 Flashpoint Jules Callaghan Main role
2013 Cracked Sydney Reid Episode: "Night Terrors"
2014 Bookaboo Herself Episode: "The Talent Show"
Covert Affairs Hayley Price Recurring role (season 5)
2019 The Has Been Jordanna Main role
2022 Superman & Lois Director Episode: "Tried and True"

Short films

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Year Title Role Notes
2013 Bent Amelia Director & writer
2014 Lines N/A Director & writer

Discography

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Studio albums

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  • The Trans-American Treatment (2001)
  • Imperfect (2005)
  • Never Broken (2013)
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  • "Clear Blue Day", "Puddle of Grace" from the series Felicity (1998)
  • "Motherless Child", "What's Wrong", "Two Words", "In A Rainbow", "First Love", from the TV movie Sweetwater (1999)
  • "Cat in the Snow" from series The Division (2004)
  • "Goodbye", "Dancing in Between" from series Flashpoint (2008)
  • "God" from the movie Bent (2013)
  • "Lines" from the short Lines (2014)
  • "Cracker Jacks" from the movie The Space Between (2016)

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2000 Teen Choice Awards TV Star Choice Sidekick Felicity Nominated [33]
2002 Slamdunk Film Festival Best Actress Pursuit of Happiness Nominated [34]
2009 Gemini Awards Best Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role Flashpoint Nominated [35]
2010 Monte-Carlo Television Festival TV Best Actress Flashpoint Nominated [36]
2012 Monte-Carlo Television Festival Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Flashpoint Nominated [37]
2013 Long Island Film Festival Shelly Award for Woman Filmmakers Bent Won [38]
Toronto International Film Festival Jury Award Bent Won [38]
Women in Film and Television Audience Choice Bent Won [38]
2014 Buffalo Niagara Film Festival Best Canadian Short Bent Won [38]
Toronto International Short Film Festival Best Comedy Lines Won [38]
2015 Buffalo Niagara Film Festival Best Actress Lines Won [38]

References

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  1. ^ a b Wilner, Norman (September 5, 2019). "TIFF review: Tammy's Always Dying". NOW Magazine. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  2. ^ "'Tammy's Always Dying': Film Review | TIFF 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. September 5, 2019.
  3. ^ "Memories of My Mother". Chicken Soup for the Soul. July 2, 2014. Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  4. ^ "Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School". Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School. Archived from the original on February 5, 2007. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  5. ^ "No Pink Spandex » Transcript of Episode 151: Interview with Amy Jo Johnson". awwman.com. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  6. ^ Aguilar, Matthew (August 24, 2017). "Power Rangers: Amy Jo Johnson Reveals The Moment She Almost Caught On Fire During Mighty Morphin". ComicBook.com. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  7. ^ Minassian, Liana (April 3, 2017). "Power Rangers: 15 Darkest Behind The Scenes Secrets". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on August 30, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  8. ^ "No Pink Spandex " Episode 151: Interview with Amy Jo Johnson". Awwman.com. September 17, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  9. ^ "No Pink Spandex " Transcript of Episode 151: Interview with Amy Jo Johnson". Awwman.com. September 17, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  10. ^ "The original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers look back on life in spandex 25 years later". Entertainment Weekly. November 20, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  11. ^ Franklin, McKinley (March 31, 2023). "Original Pink 'Power Ranger' Amy Jo Johnson Writing New Comic Book Series: 'It's My Version' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.com. Retrieved April 3, 2023. 'The whole franchise will always be very special to me. I can't wait to see it.' For now, she revels in the excitement that her fans will get to experience her new comic series. 'This is my thank you, this is my love letter to the fans,' she says. 'It's just been incredible to have these kids who are now adults support me through all of [my career] changes.'
  12. ^ "Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Reunion Won't See Amy Jo Johnson In The Pink". Deadline Hollywood. January 18, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  13. ^ "Amy Jo Johnson Denies Claims She Didn't Do 'Power Rangers' Reunion Movie Due To Money: "Maybe I Just Didn't Want To Wear Spandex In My 50s"". Deadline Hollywood. March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  14. ^ "MMPR: THE RETURN - comic book series from Boom! Studios". amyjojohnson.com. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  15. ^ "Amy Jo Johnson as Jules Callahan". Cbs.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  16. ^ "Press". Amy Jo Johnson. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  17. ^ Amy Johnson (May 20, 2016). "Lines a short film by Amy Jo Johnson". Archived from the original on December 13, 2021 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ "What Are You Up to Now? Checking in With Amy Jo Johnson of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers"". Complex. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  19. ^ Vlessing, Etan (December 5, 2018). "Felicity Huffman, Anastasia Phillips Star in Amy Jo Johnson's Dark Comedy 'Tammy's Always Dying'". Hollywood Reporter.
  20. ^ "'Tammy's Always Dying': Film Review | TIFF 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. September 5, 2019.
  21. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (March 30, 2020). "Felicity Huffman Movie 'Tammy's Always Dying' Lands At Quiver Distribution With VOD Bow Planned". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  22. ^ Amy Jo Johnson (November 24, 2021). "I'm buzzing with gratitude" – via Twitter.
  23. ^ "PINK POWER RANGER Amy Jo Johnson New directing job on a superhero show". November 26, 2021. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021 – via YouTube.
  24. ^ "Music". Amy Jo Johnson. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  25. ^ "Amy Jo Johnson | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". Myspace.com. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  26. ^ "FlashPoint Music". CTV.ca. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  27. ^ "Amy Jo Johnson – Amy Jo Johnson – BENT". amyjojohnson.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  28. ^ "Amy Jo Johnson – Amy Jo Johnson – LINES". amyjojohnson.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  29. ^ "about". The Space Between. Archived from the original on November 15, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  30. ^ "The Cast of 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers': Where Are They Now?". People. April 18, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  31. ^ "Amy Jo Johnson Welcomes Daughter Francesca Christine". People. December 5, 2008. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  32. ^ Johnson, Amy Jo [@_amyjojohnson] (June 23, 2015). "Super happy! I'm becoming a Canadian today! Dual Citizenship!! LOVE my countries! PLURAL... ;-)" (Tweet). Retrieved December 11, 2016 – via Twitter.
  33. ^ "Flashpoint Fan Site: Amy Jo Johnson". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
  34. ^ "Slamdunk Film Festival January 17, 2002". IMDb.com. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  35. ^ "Amy Jo Brasil | Amy Jo Johnson Fansite: Fotos: Amy Jo Johnson no Gemini Awards 2009". Amyjobrasil.blogspot.com. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  36. ^ "Nominees for Outstanding Actress - Drama TV Series". Festival de Télévision de Monte Carlo. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  37. ^ "Festival de Television de Monte Carlo 52e" (PDF). Tvfestival.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 17, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  38. ^ a b c d e f "Prêmios e indicações – Curta Bent". IMDb. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
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