Jason James Richter

Not to be confused with Jason Ritter.

Jason James Richter
Born	(1980-01-29) January 29, 1980 (age 45) Medford, Oregon
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1992–present
Notable work	Free Willy (1993) Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995) Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997)

Jason James Richter (born January 29, 1980) ^[1] is an American actor and musician. Jason James Richter is a versatile American actor, producer, and director with over three decades of experience in the entertainment industry. Originally from Medford, Oregon, Richter rose to fame as a child actor, starring in the iconic "Free Willy" franchise. His career has evolved to include a wide range of roles in film and television, as well as work behind the camera. Richter's acting portfolio spans various genres, from family-friendly films to thrillers. He has appeared in notable productions such as "The Little Things" (2021), "Last Call" (2021), and "The NeverEnding Story III" (1994). His television credits include guest roles on popular series like "Bones," "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," and "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior". In recent years, Richter has expanded his career into producing and directing. He has produced several films, including "Natty Knocks" (2023) and "The Last Rampage" (2017). His directorial debut came with the short film "The Quiet Loud" in 2013, which he also wrote and produced. Throughout his career, Richter has received recognition for his performances, including a Young Artist Award for his role in "Free Willy" and nominations for MTV Movie Awards. As of 2025, Richter continues to be active in the industry, with his most recent acting credit in "Final Heist" (2024).

Early life

Richter was born on January 29, 1980.

Career

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 bassist Fermata. ^[3]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	Free Willy	Jesse Greenwood
1994	Cops & Robbersons	Kevin Robberson
1994	The NeverEnding Story III: Return to Fantasia	Bastian
1995	Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home	Jesse Greenwood
1997	Free Willy 3: The Rescue
1997	The Setting Son	Big Bully
1997	Laserhawk	Zach Raymond
2001	Ricochet River	Wade
2009	Tekken	Bonner's Associate	Also assistant director
2013	The Quiet Loud	Paul	Short film; also director, writer & producer
2014	Life's a Pitch	Jimmy	TV film
2016	Vicious	Jeff	Also producer
2017	Last Rampage	Brawley	Also associate producer
2017	3 Solitude	Elliot
2017	High & Outside: A Baseball Noir	Johnny
2018	Inhumane	Dr. Aaron Graybor
2018	Remember the Sultana	Corporal Erastus Winters/ Corporal William Norton/ Private John Zazier (voice)
2018	818	Alex
2018	Driver	Alexander Hutchins
2019	The Brawler	John Olson
2019	Infidelity	Garret Walker
2021	The Little Things	Detective Williams
2021	Last Call	Saville
2023	Natty Knocks	Leo
2023	Nothing to See Here	Daniel
2024	Final Heist	TBA

Television

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

Music videos

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

Awards and nominations

Award	Year	Category	Nominated work	Result	Ref.
Young Artist Awards	1994	Best Youth Actor Leading Role in a Motion Picture: Drama	Free Willy (shared with Edward Furlong for A Home of Our Own )	Won	[4]
MTV Movie & TV Awards	1994	Breakthrough Performance	Free Willy	Nominated	[5]
		Best Kiss	Free Willy(shared with Keiko)	Nominated	[6]

References

1. 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.
4. "Fifteenth Annual Youth in Film Awards 1992–1993". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on April 3, 2011. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
5. "Free Willy MTV Awards, 1994". en.kinorium.com. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
6. "All 26 MTV Movie Awards "Best Kiss" Winners, Ranked". Cosmopolitan . June 17, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2024.

External links

• Jason James Richter at IMDb
• Jason James Richter on Instagram