You probably know him as the guy who held the gold-and-green helmet. If you grew up in the early 2000s, Jason Keng Kwin Chan was a fixture of your Saturday morning. He played Cameron "Cam" Watanabe, the sarcastic tech genius who eventually became the Green Samurai Ranger in Power Rangers Ninja Storm.
But honestly? His real-life story is way more interesting than a scripted superhero plot.
It’s not every day you meet a Power Ranger who is also a fully qualified medical doctor. Or a doctor who ditched the clinic to start a film production house in Singapore. Most people think he just "disappeared" after his time in spandex, but the truth is he’s been busier than ever, just usually behind the camera instead of in front of it.
The Doctor Who Chose the Morpher
Jason Keng Kwin Chan wasn't originally looking for fame. Born in Kuala Lumpur and raised in Perth, Australia, he actually followed a very traditional path at first. He went to medical school at the University of Western Australia.
He didn't just attend; he graduated.
By 1994, he was a General Practitioner. He spent three years working as a GP, treating patients and doing the whole "stethoscope around the neck" thing. But the creative itch was too strong. While he was practicing medicine, he was also sneaking off to study ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance. Imagine your family doctor giving you a flu shot and then hitting a pirouette.
Eventually, he realized he couldn't live a double life forever. He quit medicine—a move that probably gave his parents a minor heart attack—and auditioned for the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney. This is the same school that produced legends like Cate Blanchett and Mel Gibson. He got in.
Why Jason Keng Kwin Chan Matters to the Power Rangers Legacy
When he landed the role of Cam Watanabe in 2003, he wasn't just another actor. He brought a specific kind of grounded, dry wit to Power Rangers Ninja Storm that the franchise often lacked.
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Cam was the "guy in the chair" before that was a cool Marvel trope. He built the Zords. He programmed the tech. When he finally got to travel back in time and get his own Samurai Amulet to become the Green Samurai Ranger, it felt earned. Fans loved him because he was the underdog who became the powerhouse.
Interestingly, Jason almost didn't take the role. He was hosting Playhouse Disney in Australia at the time and had to choose between the two. He remembered seeing the first Power Rangers movie years prior and decided he couldn't pass up the chance to be a superhero.
Moving from Hollywood to Singapore
After the Power Rangers hype cooled down, a lot of actors struggled. The "Power Rangers curse" is a real thing people talk about in the industry—the idea that you get pigeonholed and never work again.
Jason Keng Kwin Chan took a different route.
He noticed that roles for Asian actors in Australia were, frankly, pretty thin. He was tired of playing the "doctor" (ironic, right?) or the "IT guy." So, he moved to Singapore. He started appearing in Mediacorp dramas like Parental Guidance and 9 Lives, becoming a staple of Singaporean television.
The Birth of BananaMana Films
In Singapore, he met Christian Lee. The two of them shared a frustration: they wanted to see high-quality Asian stories told in English for a global audience, but nobody was making them.
Instead of waiting for a phone call from a producer, they started BananaMana Films.
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This wasn't just a hobby. They got serious. They produced What Do Men Want?, a romantic comedy that started as a web series and got picked up by national TV. Then came Perfect Girl, which basically cleaned up at international festivals. It won seven awards and was eventually picked up by Netflix and Viki.
What Really Happened with Jimami Tofu?
If you want to see the peak of Jason’s current career, you look at Jimami Tofu. This 2017 film is a "foodie" romance set in Okinawa. Jason co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in it.
It’s a slow-burn, beautiful movie about a Chinese-Singaporean chef who goes to Japan to find his lost love and ends up discovering the art of Okinawan cuisine. It won the Audience Choice Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival.
It’s a far cry from fighting rubber monsters in a rock quarry.
The Reality of Being a "Triple Threat"
Jason Keng Kwin Chan is often called a "triple threat," but it's more like a "sextuple threat" at this point. Look at his credits on a project like Bang Bang Club or Perfect Girl. He is often the:
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
- Editor
- Composer (Yes, he writes the music too)
Doing all of this isn't just about ego; it’s about survival in the independent film world. By handling the score and the editing himself, he keeps the production value high while keeping the costs manageable.
Addressing the Misconceptions
People often ask: "Does he still practice medicine?"
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The short answer is no. While he’s technically a qualified doctor, his life is 100% cinema now. He’s traded the clinic for the edit suite.
Another common question: "Does he hate talking about Power Rangers?"
Actually, no. Unlike some actors who try to distance themselves from their "kids' show" roots, Jason has shown up at Power Morphicon and interacted with fans. He seems to view it as a vital stepping stone that taught him how to handle a professional set.
Lessons from the Career of Jason Keng Kwin Chan
What can we actually learn from a guy who went from medical school to a Samurai Morpher to a film studio?
First, the "linear career" is a myth. You aren't stuck in the first thing you studied. If a guy can give up a stable medical career in Australia to go to drama school, you can probably pivot your career too.
Second, if the roles you want don't exist, you have to build the stage yourself. Jason didn't like the roles available for Asian men, so he started a company to write better ones.
Actionable Takeaways for Creatives
If you're inspired by Jason's path, here is how you actually apply his "BananaMana" philosophy to your own work:
- Leverage your day job. Jason used the discipline of medical school to fuel his work ethic in film. Whatever "boring" background you have, use it as your unique edge.
- Master the technical side. Don't just be a "writer" or a "dancer." Learn the software. Jason learned editing and scoring, which made him indispensable.
- Think global, act local. He filmed in Singapore and Japan but produced content in English to ensure it could sell to Netflix or US-based streaming platforms.
- Don't wait for permission. He didn't wait for a "green light" from a big studio to make Perfect Girl. He just made it.
Jason Keng Kwin Chan represents a specific type of modern creative—the "multihyphenate" who realizes that the old gatekeepers don't matter as much as they used to. Whether he’s Cam Watanabe or a chef in Okinawa, the common thread is a guy who refused to stay in the box people tried to put him in.
Next time you see a Green Ranger toy, just remember: that guy could probably also perform a minor surgical procedure and then compose a symphony about it.