Jason James Richter

Last updated
Jason James Richter
Born (1980-01-29) January 29, 1980 (age 44)
Medford, Oregon, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, musician
Years active1992–present
Website https://www.instagram.com/jason_james_richter/

Jason James Richter (Born January 29, 1980) [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]

Contents

Early life

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.

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 guitarist and bassist for Blue Root and Fermata, respectively. [3]

Filmography

Film

TitleYearRoleNote
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 SonBig Bully
Ricochet River
1998
Wade
Tekken
2009
Bonner's AssociateAdditionally served as assistant director
Inhumane
2015
Dr. Aaron Graybor
ViciousJeffAdditionally serving as producer
High and Outside
2016
Johnny
3 Solitude
2017
Elliot
Last Rampage Officer Ketchumas Jason Richter
The Brawler
2019
John Olson
The Little Things
2021
Detective Williams
Last Call Saville

Television

TitleYearRoleNotes
Movie Magic
1995
HimselfEpisode: "Aqua Animatronics"
The Client
1996
Chris LoveEpisode: "The Morning After"
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
1997
DanteEpisode: "Dante's Inferno"
Rugrats Ringo the BullEpisode: "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. 2as Jason Richter; Episode: "Double Trouble in the Panhandle"
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
2011
Matthew KeaneEpisode: "Nighthawk"
Life's a Pitch
2014
JimmyTV movie

Music videos

YearTitleRoleArtistDirector
1995
"Childhood"Jesse Michael Jackson Nicholas Brandt
2018
"Pink Honey"Tall ManHousesBrook Linder

Additional credits

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References

  1. 1 2 3 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. laura (January 25, 2008). "Where Are They Now? Jason James Richter – The Modern Age". Themodernage.org. Retrieved April 22, 2018.