Actor August Schellenberg, who starred in the Free Willy films, has died aged 77.

The Canadian star’s agent Jamie Levitt said he died at his Dallas home surrounded by his family. He had been fighting lung cancer.

Schellenberg appeared in numerous television roles and was in all three Free Willy movies.

In 2007, he was nominated for an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Chief Sitting Bull in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.

Ms Levitt said one of Schellenberg’s last notable works was in 2012, playing the lead in King Lear in an all Canadian cast in at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

She described Schellenberg as a loving family man and an iconic Canadian actor.

The first Free Willy film was released in 1993 and is about a young boy who befriends a captive orca, or killer whale.

[adrotate group=”12″]