Keiko was born into a wild group of killer whales, also called orca, in Icelandic waters. ... It was during this time, in 1993, that Keiko made animal stardom when he “played” a leading role in the hit film Free Willy, which tells the story of a boy who befriends and eventually releases a captive orca.

Was a real orca used in Free Willy?

Keiko (earlier Siggi and Kago; c. 1976 – 12 December 2003) was a male captive killer whale and actor captured near Iceland in 1979 who portrayed Willy in the 1993 film Free Willy. ... He died in December 2003 in Norway of pneumonia.

What happened to the orca from Free Willy?

Keiko, the killer whale made famous by the “Free Willy” movies, has died in Norwegian coastal waters after suffering from pneumonia. ... The whale, who was 27, died Friday afternoon after the sudden onset of pneumonia in the Taknes fjord. He was old for an orca in captivity, though wild orca live an average of 35 years.