Amy Jo Johnson

American actress (born 1970)

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 53)

Hyannis, Massachusetts, U.S.

Citizenship|

* United States (1970–present)
* Canada (2015–present)

Occupations|

* Actress
* musician
* filmmaker

Years active| 1993–present
Known for|

* Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
* Felicity
* Flashpoint

Spouse|

Olivier Giner

(m. 2009; div. 2017)​

Children| 1

Amy Jo Johnson (born October 6, 1970) is an American and Canadian actress. As an actress, Johnson is known for her roles as Kimberly Hart on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Julie Emrick on Felicity and Jules Callaghan on Flashpoint.

Johnson has directed short films including Bent (2013) and Lines (2014), along with two feature-length films, The Space Between (2016) and Tammy's Always Dying (2019).[1][2]

## Early life[edit]

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[edit]

### Acting[edit]

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 less than a month 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. 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 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, 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's character has appeared in 138 episodes 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]

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.[14] 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[edit]

Johnson has directed and produced two acclaimed short films: Bent (2013) and Lines (2014).[15][16] She then went on to direct the feature film The Space Between.[17] In 2018, she began working on her next film, Tammy's Always Dying.[18] The movie received praise from critics, particularly for Huffman's and Phillips' performances.[1][19] It is available at video on demand release on May 1, 2020.[20]

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.[21][22]

### Music[edit]

Johnson is a singer-songwriter and has released three albums: The Trans-American Treatment (2001), Imperfect (2005), and Never Broken (2013).[23] 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.[24]

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.[25]

In 2013, she performed the song "God" in her movie Bent.[26] In 2014, her song "Lines" had featured in her short film Lines.[27] Her 2017 song "Cracker Jacks" was the theme song from the movie The Space Between.[28]

## Personal life[edit]

Johnson was married to Olivier Giner. The couple married in 2009 but filed for divorce in 2017.[29] They have one child, a daughter born in 2008.[30] 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.[31]

## Filmography[edit]

### Film[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1995  | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie | Kimberly Hart / Pink Ranger |
1996  | Susie Q | Susie Q / Maggie  |
1997  | Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie | Kimberly Hart  |
1998  | Without Limits | Iowa's Finest  |
1999  | Cold Hearts | Alicia  |
2001  | Liars Club | Karen  |
2001  | Pursuit of Happiness | Tracy  |
2002  | Infested | Jesse  |
2002  | 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  | 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
2023  | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always | Kimberly Hart | Archival audio and footage from past episodes

### Television[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1993–1995  | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers | Kimberly Hart / Pink Power Ranger  | Main cast
1995  | The Eddie Files | Cindy  | Episode: "The Counting Principle: Eddie in Barbieland"
1996  | Saved by the Bell: The New Class | Linda  | Episode: "Backstage Pass"
1996  | Susie Q | Susie Quinn / Maggie  | TV film
1997  | Killing Mr. Griffin | Susan McConnell  | TV film
1997  | Perfect Body | Andie Bradley  | TV film
1998–2000; 2002  | Felicity | Julie Emrick | Main cast (seasons 1–3); special guest star (season 4)
1999  | Sweetwater | Nansi Nevins  | TV film
2001  | ER | Jill  | Episode: "Partly Cloudy, Chance of Rain"
2001  | Night Visions | Sara  | Episode: "Rest Stop/After Life"
2002  | Spin City | Stephanie  | Episode: "Sex, Lies and Video Date"
2003  | Hard Ground | Elizabeth Kennedy  | TV film
2004  | The Division | Stacy Reynolds  | Main cast
2004  | I Love the '90s | Herself  | Episode: "10"
2005–2007  | Wildfire | Tina Sharp  | Recurring
2006  | Fatal Trust | Kate  | TV film
2006  | Magma: Volcanic Disaster | Brianna Chapman  | TV film
2006  | What About Brian | Karen – Car Girl  | Episodes: "Pilot", "What About the Fish" & "What About Angelo's Ashes"
2008–2012  | Flashpoint | Jules Callaghan | Main cast
2013  | Cracked | Sydney Reid  | Episode: "Night Terrors"
2014  | Bookaboo | Herself  | Episode: "The Talent Show"
2014  | Covert Affairs | Hayley Price  | Recurring
2019  | The Has Been | Jordanna  | Main cast
2022  | Superman & Lois |  | Director, episode: "Tried and True"

### Short films[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

2013  | Bent | Amelia  | Director & writer
2014  | Lines | N/A | Director & writer

## Discography[edit]

### Studio albums[edit]

* The Trans-American Treatment (2001)
* Imperfect (2005)
* Never Broken (2013)

### As a featured performer[edit]

* "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[edit]

Year  | Result  | Award  | Category  | Work  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

2000  | Nominated  | Teen Choice Awards | TV Star Choice Sidekick  | Felicity | [32]
2002  | Slamdunk Film Festival | Best Actress  | Pursuit of Happiness | [33]
2009  | Gemini Awards | Best Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role  | Flashpoint | [34]
2010  | Monte Carlo TV Festival | TV Best Actress  | [35]
2012  | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series  | [36]
2013  | Won  | Long Island Film Festival  | Shelly Award for Woman Filmmakers  | Bent | [37]
Women in Film and Television | Audience Choice  | [37]
Toronto International Film Festival | Jury Award  | [37]
2014  | Buffalo Niagara Film Festival  | Best Canadian Short  | [37]
Toronto International Short Film Festival | Best Comedy  | Lines | [37]
2015  | Buffalo Niagara Film Festival  | Best Actress  | [37]

## References[edit]

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. ^ "Amy Jo Johnson as Jules Callahan". Cbs.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
15. ^ "Press". Amy Jo Johnson. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
16. ^ Amy Johnson (May 20, 2016). "Lines a short film by Amy Jo Johnson". Archived from the original on December 13, 2021 - via YouTube.
17. ^ "What Are You Up to Now? Checking in With Amy Jo Johnson of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers"". Complex. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
18. ^ Vlessing, Etan (December 5, 2018). "Felicity Huffman, Anastasia Phillips Star in Amy Jo Johnson's Dark Comedy 'Tammy's Always Dying'". Hollywood Reporter.
19. ^ "'Tammy's Always Dying': Film Review | TIFF 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. September 5, 2019.
20. ^ 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.
21. ^ Amy Jo Johnson (November 24, 2021). "I'm buzzing with gratitude" - via Twitter.
22. ^ "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.
23. ^ "Music". Amy Jo Johnson. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
24. ^ "Amy Jo Johnson | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". Myspace.com. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
25. ^ "FlashPoint Music". CTV.ca. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
26. ^ "Amy Jo Johnson – Amy Jo Johnson – BENT". amyjojohnson.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
27. ^ "Amy Jo Johnson – Amy Jo Johnson – LINES". amyjojohnson.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
28. ^ "about". The Space Between. Archived from the original on November 15, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
29. ^ "The Cast of 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers': Where Are They Now?". People. April 18, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
30. ^ Author, Staff (December 5, 2008). "Amy Jo Johnson Welcomes Daughter Francesca Christine". People.com. Retrieved January 20, 2024. `{{cite web}}`: `|last=` has generic name (help)
31. ^ 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.
32. ^ "Flashpoint Fan Site: Amy Jo Johnson". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
33. ^ "Slamdunk Film Festival January 17, 2002". IMDb.com. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
34. ^ "Amy Jo Brasil | Amy Jo Johnson Fansite: Fotos: Amy Jo Johnson no Gemini Awards 2009". Amyjobrasil.blogspot.com. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
35. ^ "Nominees for Outstanding Actress - Drama TV Series". Festival de Télévision de Monte Carlo. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
36. ^ "Festival de Television de Monte Carlo 52e" (PDF). Tvfestival.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 17, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
37. ^ a b c d e f "Prêmios e indicações – Curta Bent". IMDb. Retrieved October 23, 2013.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amy Jo Johnson.

* Official website
* Amy Jo Johnson discography at Discogs
* Amy Jo Johnson at IMDb

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Spain
* France
* BnF data
* United States
* Poland

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

People|

* Deutsche Synchronkartei

*[m.]: married
*[div.]: divorced
*[Ref.]: References