Why Mariska Hargitay Was Fired From The Original Power Rangers Movie

In Bryan Spicer's 1995 kid flick "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie," the titular Rangers are facing their most dangerous foe yet, a sarcastic sorcerer named Ivan Ooze (Paul Freeman). To match the villain's level of magic, the Rangers are sent off to the distant planet of Phaedos to obtain something called the Great Power, an energy field that will enhance their fighting skills and give them access to a new fleet of animal-shaped war machines. Phaedos proves to be dangerous, as it is lousy with Tengu Warriors that the Rangers can't seem to defeat in hand-to-hand combat. Luckily, the Rangers are rescued by the Red Sonja-like Warrioress, Dulcea. Dulcea takes the Rangers to a ninja training facility and teaches them how to access their inner spirit animals. This gives them the impetus they need to fight Ivan Ooze. 

Dulcea doesn't join the Rangers for the climax, being magically bound to Phaedos. It's a pity. It seems that she would have been a help. 

Duclea was played by Australian actress and model Gabrielle Fitzpatrick. "Power Rangers" was only her second feature film, although she had several Australian TV credits throughout the 1990s. "Power Rangers," at least for kids of a certain age, is one of her most notable roles. She has since gone on to appear in hit shows like "24," "Frasier," and "Lost." 

Also, she almost missed out on the part. According to a "MMPRTM" retrospective on the Conventional Relations website, Fitzpatrick had a medical emergency that took her off set right when shooting was about to begin. For a few days, the "MMPRTM" team shot with their second choice, actress Mariska Hargitay. This was before she found her starmaking role in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Also, she was underprepared.

Hargitay was always the producers' second choice to play Dulcea, but when she was called in at the last minute, the lack of preparation stymied her. She hadn't gone through the same fight training that Fitzpatrick had, and her fighting was lackluster. The cast of "Power Rangers" all recall working with Hargitay for the better part of two months, and seeing how little time she had to prepare. Karan Ashley, who played Aisha (the Yellow Ranger), noted: 

"[S]omething happened just randomly where [Fitzpatrick] had a medical emergency and had to have surgery. It was literally a week before shooting and it was down to the wire. So we started shooting the movie and Mariska ended up getting the part. She worked with us for about one or two months, and I just remember she had no rehearsal. She had no fight training. They just threw her in the deep end. I remember watching her do a scene and people being a little frustrated because her action wasn't believable." 

Also, it seems that Hargitay, a devoted performer, was perhaps taking the role of Dulcea a little too seriously. Screenwriter Arne Olsen admired Hargitay's talents, but it seems she didn't understand the assignment. This was meant to be a live-action cartoon, and Hargitay was too human. As he said: 

"Mariska's just got this intensity about her, and I think, for that role, we wanted a bit more of a cartoony, She-Ra take on it. When they shot the first days with her, it was evident that the spark wasn't there. It had nothing to do with her acting chops, it was just her aura was more serious."

Which is fair. 

If one looks around online, one can find early production photos of Hargitay in the Dulcea costume. The film's stunt coordinator, Jeff Pruitt, recalls having conversations about Hargitay's performance, including some concerns that she didn't look right. Many people thought that Hargitay was too beautiful for the role. Of course, Gabrielle Fitzpatrick was a professional model, so I can only ponder what he might have meant. 

Karan Ashley even recalls when Hargitay was fired, which would have been hard under any circumstances. Although she wasn't right for the part, none of Hargitay's co-stars wanted to see a fellow actor get fired. Sadly, it was what they witnessed. As Ashley recalled: 

"I remember we had a break for Christmas. It was like one week off and we got to go home. When we came back, we started hearing rumblings that Mariska's not coming back. They had reviewed all the footage and the powers that be had decided she was not the one for this role. And I just remember it being so devastating for her because they just called her and said, "Oh, you're not coming back." It was just handled terribly and we all felt horrible." 

Hargitay, of course, would be fine. She would land the role of Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: SVU" about four years later, and the gig would win her awards and provide a lucrative job that has lasted over 20 years. The "Power Rangers" actors, meanwhile, are forever associated with a deeply beloved kid franchise that also persists. Everything turned out well in the end. "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" ended up making a tidy $66 million at the box office.