Irwin's small-screen career began, naturally, with appearances in her father's shows, "The Crocodile Hunter" and "The Croc Files," before the camera-ready lass took center-stage in "Bindi, the Jungle Girl," a spin-off of sorts that found the duo spreading awareness about animal conservation. Next, as Reuters advised at the time, Irwin headed to Hollywood to appear in "Free Willy: Escape From Pirates Cove," a straight-to-DVD sequel to the hit family film.

Irwin noted how her father taught her to be comfortable on set, advising, "I used that during the filming of this movie because I wasn't scared to be around cameras." Meanwhile her co-star, Beau Bridges, helped her to act naturally. "I was a bit nervous about learning the lines, but Beau taught me how to make them into a conversation," she revealed. At the time, the youngster expressed a desire to continue acting; however, her number one ambition was to follow in her father's footsteps.