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Do you remember the young boy from 'Free Willy'? Now he's a handsome man and looks great

Rebelander Basilan
Apr 28, 2018
04:25 A.M.

He's having the best time of his life right now at the age of 38.

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Jason James Richter is best known for his role in the film, Free Willy, as Jesse in 1993, according to Stant On Daily.

Many years have gone by since this blockbuster movie first appeared on the big screen, where the audience learned about the importance of ocean wildlife.

Jason was born in Medford, Oregon in 1980. His father was a United States Navy and his mother was an actress. When he was three years old, Jason and his family moved to Hawaii, where a Japanese casting agency discovered him. He was then signed up for three TV spots.

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In 1989, their family moved to Los Angeles because Jason's parents couldn't resist Hollywood's calling and they wanted Jason to pursue his dreams of becoming a star.

Over the next few years, Jason struggled to have a career in Hollywood. He auditioned many times for movie and television roles without much luck.

In 1993, Jason auditioned for the film, Free Willy, and he was chosen out of over 4,000 candidates to play the lead role of Jesse. The film was his first major break.

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Jason immediately became a household name around the world for his adventure to save Willy. He also won a Young Artist Award for his performance.

Free Willy was a major hit and he secured his role for sequels in Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home in 1995 and Free Willy 3: The rescue in 1997.

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Jason made appearances in other films, including Cops & Robbersons and The Never Ending Story III. He was also picked to make a cameo for Micheal Jackson's Childhood music video in addition to television shows like Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, and The Client.

While taking a break from Hollywood, he discovered his passion for music and joined a band called Fermata. The band was fairly popular at the time.

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Jason took a hiatus from acting because he had been on sets since 11 years old. He then became a subject of negative and false reports, including getting addicted to drugs and even crashing his car and dying.

In 2009, Jason made his way back to Hollywood. He appeared on TV series like Bones and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, Tekken, Inhumane and Vicious.

At the present time, Jason's career is still active, but he spends the majority of his time acting on stage. He's also a writer, director, and producer.

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