Free Willy! is 22 and here’s what young Jesse looks like now

Free Willy came out all the way back in 1993 in the US and 1994 in Europe, and it was a massive part of so many people's childhoods.

It starred actor Jason James Richter who was then 13 years old as a troubled kid who got caught by police for stealing food and vandalising a theme park. (via Giphy) He then finds a foster home, and begins to work at the theme park to pay them back for his antics. While there, he becomes attached to Willy, an orca (killer whale), and the whole film is about their adorable bond. Jesse was definitely up there with the top crushes of the 1990s for a lot of us, and two decades later Jason James Richter is now 36, and continues to act, while also playing music in a band.

A photo posted by Jason?Richter (@jason_james_richter) on Mar 12, 2016 at 9:48am PST

Fun night! #Malibu #birthday #grateful A photo posted by Jason?Richter (@jason_james_richter) on Feb 1, 2016 at 5:12pm PST

A photo posted by Jason?Richter (@jason_james_richter) on Nov 13, 2015 at 12:15pm PST