Ted Jan Roberts
Ted Jan Roberts | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ted Jan Roberts September 24, 1979 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | June 6, 2022 (aged 42) |
| Other names | T. J. Roberts |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1990–2022 |
Ted Jan Roberts (September 24, 1979 – June 6, 2022) was an American actor, martial artist, stuntman, and producer.[1] He was best known as the title character of the television series Masked Rider, an American adaptation of the Japanese tokusatsu television series Kamen Rider Black RX.
Career
Ted Jan Roberts was born, Ted Gilroy. The name Ted Jan Roberts was a stage name created by his father Richard Gilroy Ortega and martial arts stunt coordinator Pat Johnson. Roberts played the lead roles in martial arts films such as Magic Kid (with Don "The Dragon" Wilson playing himself) and its sequel Magic Kid II, in Tiger Heart, "A Dangerous Place", and The Power Within. He also appeared in adventure/drama film Hollywood Safari and the live-action TV series Masked Rider after appearing as the titular character in the three-part third season premiere of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.[2][3] He played LGBT activist Dennis Peron in Milk (2008).
Death
In June 2025, a Redditor discovered a Facebook post made in 2024 by Roberts' father, Richard G. Ortega, mourning Roberts' death on June 6, 2022.[4][5] At the time of the Reddit post, Roberts was erroneously listed as a stunt performer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on IMDb, casting doubts to the news. A month later, fellow Masked Rider cast member, Libby Letlow, confirmed Roberts' death.[6] Ortega refused to disclose the cause of death.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Magic Kid | Kevin Ryan | |
| 1994 | Magic Kid 2 | ||
| 1994 | A Dangerous Place | Ethan | |
| 1995 | The Power Within | Stan Dryer | |
| 1996 | Tiger Heart | Eric | |
| 1997 | Hollywood Safari | Josh Johnson | |
| 2005 | In the Blink of an Eye | Steven Chavez | |
| 2008 | Milk | Dennis Peron |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Married... with Children | Brian | Episode: "Every Bundy Has a Birthday" |
| 1993 | Evening Shade | Matt | Episode: "The Dance" |
| 1995 | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers | Prince Dex / Masked Rider | 3 episodes |
| 1995–1996 | Masked Rider | Main role | |
| 1999 | Hollywood Safari | Josh Johnson | 19 episodes |
References
- ^ "Richard G Ortega's post". Facebook. 16 May 2024. Archived from the original on 20 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ "TJ Roberts Born To Act". MARTIAL ARTS ENTERTAINMENT. 17 February 2015.
- ^ "Whatever Happened to Ted Jan "T.J." Roberts (90's kid MA film star)". Kung Fu Fandom. November 20, 2009. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
- ^ "This is pretty much a follow up of what I posted yesterday about Ted Jan Roberts a.k.a Dex from Masked Rider. I found his father through facebook and." Reddit. June 14, 2025. Archived from the original on June 14, 2025. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
- ^ "I made the post of how I found Ted Jan Roberts Father post on Facebook conforming his death. Now that everyone in the community has been aware, I would like to give out all my evidence I found for this case. Links below". Reddit. July 4, 2025. Archived from the original on July 20, 2025. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
- ^ Letlow, Libby [@ribbyretrow]; (July 6, 2025). "Confirming the news that's been going around - it looks like the sad news is true and TJ passed away in 2022. Our Masked Rider family is still in shock right now, but we are sending all our love and support to TJ's family and of course to all you fans of MR and of TJ. We love him and miss him, may he Rest In Power. ❤️🐞" – via Instagram.
External links