Robert Irwin is remembering his dad Steve Irwin.
The son of the late zookeeper and conservationist became visibly emotional as he stood next to his dad’s wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Sydney, Australia, for the very first time, fighting tears as he addressed reporters.
“That is amazing,” Robert said in a TikTok video posted by News.com.au Nov. 28. “It’s the first time in a long time that he’s not just a picture.”
Later, the 20-year-old explained why seeing the figure of his father—who died at age 44 after a 2006 stingray attack—was such a poignant moment for him.
“I didn’t think that was gonna happen, but I was actually quite emotional,” he told Australian morning show Sunrise. “Dad, for the last 17 years of my life, has been pictures and video, and to actually see him kind of just standing there, it was a lot. It was actually a lot to take in, and it was a really beautiful thing.”
Robert—who has taken up his father’s work along with his 26-year-old sister Bindi Irwin—was on hand for the unveiling of his own wax figure, which depicts him in his signature khakis as he holds a snake.
Don Arnold/WireImage“This is one of the most surreal moments of my entire life,” he said on the program. “This is just incredible. I just keep looking at every little bit going, ‘It’s me! It is me!’ I don’t know if the world is ready for two of me.”
The honor holds special significance for Robert, as his figure will be on display next to his dad’s, which was unveiled in 2015.
“My life’s about continuing his legacy,” he concluded, “so the fact that I get to be there with him now means a lot.”
Keep reading to see more stars who’ve been immortalized in wax.
