Chris Hemsworth is used to saving the world on-screen as Thor, but before he wielded a hammer, he was swinging around the backyard channelling another Aussie icon: Steve Irwin.
The actor has just dropped a never-before-seen childhood video from Chris Hemsworth’s Road Trip to Remember — his new National Geographic documentary now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu — and it shows teenage Chris going full Crocodile Hunter long before Hollywood came calling.
Wearing makeshift khakis and armed with a thick Steve Irwin accent, a young Hemsworth looks straight into the camera and proclaims:
“How you going, folks? We’ve got a real bloody ripper in store for you today!”
In the video, Chris tells viewers he’s tracking a mythical creature — the “Siberian tiger Australian fox” — before pouncing dramatically on… the family dog. (Don’t worry, he makes sure to clarify the pup was not harmed in production.)
“Next week, we’ll be chasing the Australian grasshopper! Can’t wait!” he signs off triumphantly.
The resurfaced clip was played during a special screening with his parents, Craig and Leonie, who couldn’t stop laughing at their son’s backyard blockbuster beginnings. Craig even called the old footage “gold”.
Hemsworth posted the moment on Instagram, joking that the Crocodile Hunter impersonation was technically his first ever film role.
“My first self-appointed, unofficial acting gig,” he wrote. “I drew inspiration from one of my heroes, the Crocodile Hunter himself. Thanks for getting me my highest grade ever in school, a C-.”
Fans flooded the comments with praise — but the response that really mattered came from Steve Irwin’s own son, Robert.
“I reckon Dad would’ve been stoked,” Robert replied, clearly delighted by the tribute. Terri Irwin also chimed in, calling Chris a true Wildlife Warrior.
Other fans piled in with love, calling the throwback the crossover Australia didn’t know it needed:
“The human embodiment of golden retriever energy. Thank you for sharing something so personal, Chris.”
“This is the crossover we all needed 🥹🙌🏼✨”
“He should officially do the movie now. He is perfect for the part.”
“I’m convinced he and Robert are brothers at this point.”
Whether Hemsworth ends up playing Steve Irwin on screen one day, it’s clear he’s been preparing for it since he was a kid.
Chris Hemsworth Road Trip is now streaming on Disney+ and hulu.
