CHICAGO (Feb. 6, 2003) -- midwestmotocross.com Senior Correspondent Mike Keefe's relentless drive for glory has taken a detour back toward mediocrity. Failing again in his quest for Hollywood fame, Keefe was passed over for the highly coveted role of Dustin, the Yellow Power Ranger and motocross racer, in ABC's latest installment in the Power Rangers franchise: Power Rangers Ninja Storm. The new series, which debuts on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 11:30 a.m. (Eastern) on the ABC Television Network's "ABC Kids," features three new actors in the now familiar Power Ranger roles. Pua Magasiva plays Shane the Red Power Ranger. Sally Martin plays Tori the Blue Power Ranger. Keefe lost the much-sought Yellow Ranger role to Glenn McMillan.
Keefe is devastated at this latest setback. It has been particularly painful because his pursuit of the role has kept him from fulfilling his regular duties, especially as the author of the wildly popular Mini Dad Chronicles column on midwestmotocross.com.
"It just wasn't fair!" Keefe laments from his Chicago home. "I read my lines much better than that other boy: 'Ninja Storm, Ranger Form!' I looked better in the yellow tights, too. Oh, that Glenn. He's just such a little bitch!"
According to Keefe, the writers/producers Ann Austen and Douglas J. Sloan based their decision on McMillan's superior motocross skills.
"They only picked him because he won all the dirt bike races," Keefe says. "They didn't know he cheated. He would brake check me and cut the corners. They said, 'The riding needs to be realistic, Michael; you just aren't that good.' Oh, I hate them! And all I did for them -- and I mean I did everything a good prospective actor does, even for the interns -- and they stick it too me like this. This really hurts."
Here's more about the series from ABC Medianet's press release:
"These seemingly typical teens - Dustin, a motocross racer, Tori, a surfer, and Shane, a skateboarder - study at the Wind Ninja Academy under a wise Sensei. Before long, a momentous incident leaves the Sensei no choice but to grant these struggling students the extraordinary tools to morph into superheroes. They become the Wind Rangers (the Yellow Power Ranger, the Red Power Ranger and the Blue Power Ranger) and must take guidance from the Sensei who, when energies collide in battle, is turned into a Guinea Pig and gets "stuck" as this creature...."
"They did offer me the guinea pig role, though," Keefe says. "What's sad is I guess it was a joke. When I said I would take it, they started laughing at me and pouring cold coffee on my head. I then thanked them for not using hot coffee and left."
midwestmotocross.com is happy to announce that with the failure of his latest grasp at stardom, Mike Keefe is now back to writing regular installments to Mini Dad Chronicles.
Look for them soon.
