Jason James Richter

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Jason James Richter (born January 29, 1980, Medford, Oregon)[1] is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his role in the Free Willy film series as Jesse, the boy who befriends Willy the orca.[1]

Early life[edit]

Richter was born on January 29, 1980, in Medford, Oregon,[1] the son of Sandra "Sandy" Montgomery, an actress, and Gregory Lynn Richter, who was in the U.S. Navy. At the age of 3, he and his family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where a Japanese casting agency discovered him and signed him up for three TV spots. In 1989, his family moved back to the mainland, settling in San Diego, California.[citation needed]

Career[edit]

Richter starred as Jesse in Free Willy (1993), a role for which he was chosen out of more than 4,000 candidates.[2]

His other films include Cops & Robbersons, The NeverEnding Story III, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, Laserhawk, Free Willy 3: The Rescue, and The Setting Son. He also reprised his role as Jesse in the music video for Michael Jackson's "Childhood", which was featured in Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home. In 2021, he appeared in the thriller The Little Things, his first studio film since the Free Willy films. Between the Free Willy roles, he had TV guest roles on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Rugrats and The Client.

Following his appearance in Ricochet River, Richter took a decade long hiatus from acting where he was the guitarist and bassist for Blue Root and Fermata, respectively.[3]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Title Year Role Note
Free Willy
1993
Jesse Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film
(tied with Edward Furlong for A Home of Our Own)
Nominated: MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss(shared with Keiko)
Nominated: MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
Cops and Robbersons
1994
Kevin Robberson
The NeverEnding Story III: Return to Fantasia Bastian
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
1995
Jesse
Laserhawk
1997
Zach Raymond
Free Willy 3: The Rescue Jesse
The Setting Son Big Bully
Ricochet River
1998
Wade
Tekken
2009
Bonner's Associate Additionally served as assistant director
Inhumane
2015
Dr. Aaron Graybor
Vicious Jeff Additionally serving as producer
High and Outside
2016
Johnny
3 Solitude
2017
Elliot
Last Rampage Officer Ketchum as Jason Richter
The Brawler
2019
John Olson
The Little Things
2021
Detective Williams
Last Call Saville

Television[edit]

Title Year Role Notes
Movie Magic
1995
Himself Episode: "Aqua Animatronics"
The Client
1996
Chris Love Episode: "The Morning After"
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
1997
Dante Episode: "Dante's Inferno"
Rugrats Ringo the Bull Episode: "He Saw, She Saw/Piggy's Pizza Palace"
Mega Movie Magic
2001
Himself (archive footage) Episode: "Free Willy 2/Independence Day"
Bones
2009
Clown No. 2 as Jason Richter; Episode: "Double Trouble in the Panhandle"
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
2011
Matthew Keane Episode: "Nighthawk"
Life's a Pitch
2014
Jimmy TV movie

Music videos[edit]

Year Title Role Artist Director
1995
"Childhood" Jesse Michael Jackson Nicholas Brandt
2018
"Pink Honey" Tall Man Houses Brook Linder

Additional credits

  • The Quiet Loud (2013) ... Paul (short film; directed, produced and written by)
  • Remember the Sultana (2015) ... Erastus Winters, Cpl William Norton, Pvt. John Zazier (documentary film; voice)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Baker, Jeff (April 30, 2014). "17 actors you (maybe) didn't know were from Oregon". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  2. ^ Tom Gliatto (August 14, 1995). "Prince of Whales". People. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  3. ^ "Where Are They Now? Jason James Richter". Themodernage.org. January 25, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2018.

External links[edit]