Dr. Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist and conservationist, continues to make headlines even after her passing.
A final interview she recorded with Netflix earlier this year has gone viral, particularly for her candid remarks about several prominent world figures.
Goodall died on October 1 at the age of 91. She was best known for her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in Tanzania, which forever changed how people understand primates and their connection to humans.
Highlights
- Dr. Jane Goodall's final Netflix interview went viral after her death, featuring candid remarks about major world leaders.
- She joked about sending these leaders on Elon Musk's spaceship to a planet he might discover.
- The Netflix series ‘Famous Last Words’ features posthumous interviews with cultural icons like Goodall.
Jane Goodall revealed her candid remarks about prominent world leaders
Image credits: Craig Barritt/Getty Images
In March, Goodall sat down for a private interview with Emmy Award-winning producer Brad Falchuk. She understood that the episode would only be released after her death.
Famous Last Words, a new Netflix documentary, is a long-form series featuring interviews with some of the world’s cultural icons before their passing.
The interview was held on an empty stage with only her and Falchuk present, captured by remotely operated cameras.
Image credits: Netflix
Goodall reflected on her life and the world she was leaving behind. She sipped whiskey during the interview, saying it was good for her voice.
When Falchuk asked her if there were people she disliked, Goodall didn’t hesitate.
“Absolutely, there are people I don't like,” she said, “and I would like to put them on one of [Elon] Musk’s spaceships and send them all off to the planet he’s sure he’s going to discover.”
When asked if Musk himself would be included, she replied, “Oh, absolutely, he’d be the host.”
Goodall said there are people she would like to put on Musk's spaceship and send off the planet
Image credits: The White House/Flickr
“Along with Musk, it’d be Trump and some of Trump’s real supporters,” she continued.
She then named more world leaders who would be on the spaceship: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Put them all on that spaceship and send them off,” Goodall said.
Image credits: Getty Images
Goodall’s remarks come at a time of intense global debate about climate change, increasing political instability, and authoritarianism.
The leaders she named have been caught up in recent controversies and power grabs.
Musk, owner of X and Tesla, has faced criticism for workplace malpractices and his growing influence as the world’s richest billionaire.
U.S. President Donald Trump has come under increased fire since his second inauguration over his anti-immigration and anti-abortion policies, his sexual misconduct allegations, and his administration’s secrecy on the Epstein files.
Vladimir Putin has been widely condemned for Russia’s war in Ukraine and human rights violations.
Benjamin Netanyahu for Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Xi, meanwhile, is criticized for his authoritarian policies and crackdowns on dissent in China.
She named Musk, Trump, Netanyahu, Putin, and Xi
Image credits: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Image credits: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
At the end of the interview, Falchuk left the stage so that Goodall could deliver her final words directly to the camera.
“In the place where I am now, I look back over my life. I look back at the world I’ve left behind. What message do I want to leave?” she said in her closing message.
“And even today, when the planet is dark, there still is hope,” she continued. “Don’t lose hope. If you lose hope, you become apathetic and do nothing. And if you want to save what is still beautiful in this world—if you want to save the planet for the future generations, your grandchildren, their grandchildren—then think about the actions you take each day.”
Image credits: Apic/Getty Images
Her last words on the series were a call to action: “You have it in your power to make a difference. Don’t give up. There is a future for you. Do your best while you’re still on this beautiful Planet Earth that I look down upon from where I am now. God bless you all.”
Netflix’s Famous Last Words series is based on a Danish TV format and will feature more posthumous interviews with cultural icons.