Until recently, Robert Irwin Jnr was an adorable, freckly-faced kid who’d inherited his late dad’s off-the-charts enthusiasm and knowledge for saving wildlife.
But in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it transformation, the 18-year-old is all grown up and looks ready to give rough-and-ready Aussie stars the Hemsworths a run for their money.
Insiders say Robert has grown up idolising Chris, 38, who’s most famous for playing superhero Thor, and it’s starting to show in his everyday life.
Some people are convinced Robert will be the next Aussie icon.
(Image: Getty)“Even Russell Crowe, who knows both Robert and Chris really well, says the resemblance is uncanny,” says an Irwin insider.
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“Russell jokes that Robert’s well on his way to becoming a bona fide action-man himself and is happy to engineer meetings between him and Chris.”
Robert regularly takes to Instagram to show off his weight-slinging workout routines, and can often be seen astride a surfboard on the Sunshine Coast, or dirt biking and camping in Australia Zoo’s nearby Glasshouse Mountains.
He’s also honing his award-winning photography skills and animal-rescue talents.
“Robert’s super ambitious and knows he could go anywhere in life, whether it’s to Hollywood as a movie star and stuntman, or into a career as a nature documentarian and photographer,” says a source.
“Robert laughs at the comparisons with the Hemsworths, but you can tell he thinks it’s a bit of alright.”
(Image: Instagram)He is fearless and strong just like his dad [the late Steve Irwin] and is loving growing into an independent young man.
With his natural-born outdoorsiness and extreme-sports nous, it’s no wonder people think he might be the next Aussie icon, following in Chris’ footsteps.
“Robert laughs at the comparisons with the Hemsworths, but you can tell he thinks it’s a bit of alright!”
Robert has even teamed up with Chris in the past for a very special cause.
In 2019, Robert and Chris, along with Terri Irwin, appeared together at the launch of Tourism Australia’s $38 million Come Live Our Philausophy campaign.
At the time, Robert took to his personal Instagram to mark the occasion.
Robert and Chris once teamed up for Tourism Australia.
(Image: Getty)“So proud to be joining @chrishemsworth to launch @australia’s new initiative inspiring the world to come experience our beautiful country!” the Wildlife Warrior wrote.
Like the Irwins, Chris has long been passionate about the environment and conservation.
In 2020, the Thor actor and wife Elsa Pataky helped release 11 Tasmanian devils into an Australian wildlife sanctuary to help “rewild” the country.
According to Global Wildlife Conservation, it had been over 3000 years since the animal had set foot on Australia’s mainland.
