Robert Irwin says actor Russell Crowe has played a crucial role in keeping his late father’s memory alive.

Robert, 21, was just two years old when his dad, Steve Irwin, died after a stingray’s barb pierced his chest during filming in the Great Barrier Reef on September 4, 2006.

Speaking at an event in the US, alongside his mum, Terri Irwin, Robert said the famed actor has helped him understand his dad in a “really special way”.

“I have some very early memories, actually. Some of the earliest memories of me with my dad were also with Russell, which is really special,” Robert told People .

“I’m really grateful that I have someone in my life who ... he’s actually been there to, in a way, keep my dad alive in my life.

“He has so many stories to share of him and dad, and I feel like I bu

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