Robert Irwin on Being the New Face of Australia, His ‘DWTS’ Debut and That Viral Underwear Ad

The 21-year-old wildlife conservationist speaks with The Hollywood Reporter about following in his father's footsteps while also forging his own path.

By Erin Lassner

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Erin Lassner

E-Commerce Writer

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Look at your backdrop!

I don’t want to brag, but I’m currently in a beautiful field full of kangaroos. And they’re all eating, so I’m just watching them. There are little joeys coming out of the pouch right now. You should be here.

I wish.

Well, by the end of this, you’ll be very well convinced to come over. If there’s one thing I can talk about, it’s home — it’s Australia. Also, I hear you’re a Dancing With The Stars fan. We’ve got to get into that.

I’m obsessed.

So am I! Isn’t it crazy? Like, what a full circle thing. I have so many memories of being there and watching [my sister, Bindi]. I was just in such awe. You know, she won with flying colors. So no pressure [laughs]. But I just want to follow in her footsteps and bring that kind of passion and energy into it. I don’t expect to do half the job she did. But it was like a little childhood dream that I’ve had for 10 years. It feels pretty wild that I’m finally fulfilling it.

It’s going to be so fun. Every time someone’s on that show they say it feels like a family.

Totally. And so many of them are still there 10 years on, so it’s really special. It feels like coming home. It’s so funny, I go from neck deep in mud in the mangroves catching crocodiles in remote Australia, and I literally fly direct to Hollywood from there to start dancing… I don’t know what’s scarier, crocodiles or West Hollywood.

That is hilarious. And so true.

I spend a lot of time in America. It’s a second home for me, it really is. But then you come to Australia and everything just slows down. You take that big breath and everything’s just really chill. And I think we’re so chill because we’re surrounded by, like, the coolest wildlife and the coolest beaches and rainforests.

You really are the perfect ambassador for Australia. How did this partnership come about?

Well, I am probably one of the proudest Aussies in the entire world. I love where I live so much. I’ve gotten to travel a lot throughout my life, but whenever I come home, I just feel such a sense of connection to this place. It’s where my heart beats from. It’s where I live. So when Australia said to me, “Mate, we want you to be the frontrunner to represent Australia to the world,” I’m like, “Where do I sign?”

Incredible. If you were going to make someone an itinerary, what would be on it?

So first of all, and not that I’m biased, but you’re going to want to touch down in Brisbane, on the east coast of Australia. And the first place you’re going to head to is my home, Australia Zoo, which, I mean, it’s hard to even call it a zoo. It’s this beautiful, big sanctuary with rescued animals and wildlife from around the world. It’s just this incredible haven of conservation. Spend some time at our lodge, go and see the sights and then enjoy the Sunshine Coast.

And the most amazing thing about the east coast of Australia is you can travel all the way down north to south, and I guarantee you, if you spend some time, you’ll find a beautiful, white, sandy beach, perfect sunshine day, crystal blue water and no one else there. We have some of the best little hidden gem beach spots in the world. And then I would say get out to The Great Barrier Reef. We’ve got a place called Lady Elliot Island, which is the southernmost island on the Great Barrier Reef. Some of the best wildlife experiences I’ve ever had have been there. Then, go down to Tasmania to Cradle Mountain.

And then the Outback. It’s the one place I think a lot of people kind of overlook. Get out into the red dirt, into the desert. And I think what sets us apart is our deserts are so full of life. And that’s just scratching the surface. That’s just talking about Queensland. That’s just my state, you know, and there’s another seven.

I’m sold. For the travel itself, do you have any long flight essentials?

I’ve kind of got this down to a fine art. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. And blue light glasses are a must. You sleep so much better.

One more thing. Are we allowed to talk about your Bond’s Underwear campaign? The people want to know!

[Laughs.] Well, that was something else. The interesting thing about that is it ended up relating so much with my cause and my mission in such an unexpected way.

Bonds wanted to do this awesome sort of showcase of Australia, and it’s very similar to what I’m doing with Australia. So I went, “all right, that sounds good, but we’ve got to incorporate wildlife.” And the question I get more than anything else is, “Were those actual animals with you? That must’ve been nerve-racking.” And I say, “well, first of all, yes, those were actual animals. And also that was the most comfortable part of the whole shoot.” Like being in my underpants was less than comfortable. But as soon as I had that snake draped around my shoulders, I’m like, “ah, okay!”

I think our environment needs advocates. I want to share a message of hope and positivity and kindness and to continue a legacy that my family and my dad started. And I found that there’s so many different ways I can do that. I always thought I would do that by doing animal documentaries, like my dad did, but I found I can actually reach even more people if I’m doing something out of the ordinary… Dancing with the Stars or an underpants campaign. I never thought I would be bringing awareness by wearing my Bond’s underpants and doing a lot of pushups, but here we are.

And then of course, what I’m doing with Tourism Australia. I get to share what I love more than anything else — my animals and my home — with you guys in America, who I love so dearly. I feel very lucky to do what I do.

Tourism Australia

Check out the “Come and say G’day” campaign video and imagery at australia.com, and browse the best available flights on Trip Advisor. Plus, catch Robert Irwin and partner Witney Carson on Dancing With the Stars each Tuesday at 8 p.m. PT/ET, starting Sept. 16. Here’s how to stream season 34 online.

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Robert Irwin on Being the New Face of Australia, His ‘DWTS’ Debut and That Viral Underwear Ad

Erin Lassner

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