Steve Cardenas

Steve Cardenas
Cardenas in April 2016
Born	Stephen Antonio Cardenas (1974-05-29) May 29, 1974 (age 42) Hampton, Virginia, U.S.
Residence	Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Martial artist, actor, musician
Years active	1992–1998: actor 1986–present; martial artist

Stephen Antonio "Steve" Cardenas (born May 29, 1974) formerly known as Steven Cardenas, is an American martial artist, musician, and retired actor. Cardenas gained fame by playing the second Red Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger, and later, the Blue Zeo Ranger in Power Rangers Zeo TV series.

Cardenas was born Stephen Antonio Cardenas on May 29, 1974 in Hampton, Virginia, at the Langley Air Force Base. Spending his early childhood as a military brat, Cardenas was raised in San Antonio, Texas. He is of half Mexican descent. He started training in martial arts when he was about 12 years old and reached black belt in Taekwondo at age 16. Steve Cardenas has been in martial arts for 28 years. He earned 5th degree black belt in Taekwondo and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

At age 20, Cardenas left his native Texas and settled in Los Angeles to audition for a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers role that would change his life. His character, Rocky, replaced Jason Lee Scott (played by Austin St. John) as the Red Ranger in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series (eventually the Gold Ranger in Zeo), and he later became the Blue Ranger for Power Rangers Zeo. He had no previous acting experience and had to learn on the job. Cardenas left the Power Rangers series and retired from acting during Power Rangers Turbo, due to contract disagreements, and possibly to focus on his martial artist career. Many years later, starting at the 2007 Power Morphicon convention, he began making convention appearances with other former cast members.