The topic of death is a touchy subject, and more so when you’re dealing with the wishes of someone who has already passed on. On October 1st, 2025, primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE and UN Messenger of Peace, passed away. By October 3rd, Netflix unveiled its new series “Famous Last Words,” which features interviews with recently deceased individuals.
The first episode was about Goodall, and the announcement of additional episodes has brought controversy from those calling the premise “ghoulish” and worse.
“Famous Last Words” has been in production for several years now, interviewing multiple unnamed subjects. Once these people pass away, Netflix releases their candid discussion. Goodall’s interview was completed in March of this year; the 55-minute-long episode is edited down from roughly 4 hours of footage.
The executive producer Brad Falchuk (“American Horror Story,” “Glee“) got the idea from the Dutch Mikael Bertelsen-created show “Det Sidste Ord.” Bertelsen originally conceived the series when a subject passed away during the interview process. The idea took him about 8 years to get off the ground, and when it did, Mikkel Bondesen, Falchuk’s producing partner, found the show. The trio brought the concept to Netflix, which bought a license to create the series outside of Scandinavia.
The Show’s Production
Falchuk conducts all of the interviews via remotely operated cameras. This allows him and the person he is interviewing to have as much solitude as possible. For added privacy and security, the crew in the control room is not given earpieces and cannot hear what is being said. Maintaining the same host ensures that whoever they are talking to remains the primary focus.
The show’s minimalist set and crew try to quell any whiff of exploitation or sensationalism. “It’s a service to these people to deliver their last words,” Falchuk explained. “We’re almost bringing them across the threshold into death. If they don’t want to talk about something, we don’t talk about it.”
Editor’s note: It’s safe to assume each subject of the show is completely aware of the premise. They conduct an interview that will only be released posthumously, with their understanding that while edits will need to happen for time and clarity, anything they say during the interview might be included. So, people angry about the series, feeling it is trying to capitalize on the death of a famous person, are missing the point. These subjects are, again, aware, and are getting to tell their stories and share their ‘last words,’ which is all we can really ask at the end.
Goodall’s “Famous Last Words”
Given Goodall spent most of her life fighting for the welfare of animals and the planet, it’s not surprising she had choice words for those in power. When asked if there are people she doesn’t like, she had this to say.
“Absolutely there are people I don’t like, 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,” she said. “He’d be the host of the party.” Goodall also invited American President Donald Trump, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, President Xi Jinping of China, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. “Put them all on that spaceship and send them off.”
When the discussion turned to her own mortality, Goodall hoped to see her mother, childhood dog, and a chimp she named David Greybeard on the other side.
Despite the doom and gloom of the subject matter, Goodall still drove home a message of hope. “If you want to save what is still beautiful in this world then think about the actions you take each day,” she implored. “Don’t give up. There is a future for you.”
For her final message, Goodall was left alone and spoke directly to the camera. “I want to make sure that you all understand that each and every one of you has a role to play,” she explains. “You may not know it, you may not find it, but your life matters, and you are here for a reason.”
You can watch Goodall’s full episode of “Famous Last Words” exclusively on Netflix.
