At the age of three, he and his family moved to Hawaii, where a Japanese casting agency discovered him and signed him up for three TV spots. In 1989, his family moved back to Los Angeles, where he could pursue his career.
He starred in Free Willy in 1993, in which he was chosen out of more than 4,000 candidates to play the lead role of Jesse. Other movies include Cops & Robbersons, The NeverEnding Story III, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, Laserhawk, Free Willy 3: The Rescue, and The Setting So