Kit Roberts
Netflix has announced a controversial new show involving the 'last words' of famous public figures.
The streaming giant described the series, called Famous Last Words, on their website as giving 'our most important voices a final opportunity to say goodbye'.
The first interview of eight which the streaming service has recorded and kept back was an interview with Dame Jane Goodall, who was interviewed by Brad Falchuk prior to her death on 1 October 2025, aged 91.
Dr. Goodall, a world-leading expert on chimpanzees, spent all of her adult life studying humankind's closest living relatives. She wrote 32 books, was the subject of over 40 films, remained an active lecturer and travelled extensively to speak about conservation and climate change.
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Of course, while there are other interviews which have been pre-recorded for the series, we won't know who exactly has featured until they pass away, when their 'last words' will be shared with the world.
Netflix is also not the first to try this format, saying that Danish show Det Sidste Ord did a similar thing.
While other interviews might have producers, directors, camera operators, and publicists in the room, Netflix said on its website that the interviews are recorded with only the interviewer and interviewee present, with cameras operated remotely.
Netflix explained: "This ensures an intimacy of conversation and fidelity of reflection from some of the world’s greatest minds."
Interviewer Falchuk said: “The experience for the audience and the participant is moving, odd, and transcendent. It’s not like any other interview show that has ever been made. It’s a true celebration of life and the opportunity to have the last word.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly for such an unusual format, the series has seen a mixed and reflective reaction so far.
One person was impressed with the idea, writing on social media: "That’s eerie but genius. Netflix basically invented posthumous storytelling. Imagine logging in one day and seeing, 'New episode just dropped… and so did the guest'."
But another person was critical of the show, arguing that while it did provide a fascinating insight into the life of someone important it might also be seen as 'monetizing their legacy'.
They wrote: "This is next-level manipulation of fame and memory. Netflix is basically saying that even in death, a celebrity’s voice is their most valuable asset.
"Storing interviews for posthumous release turns reflection into content strategy, blurring the line between honoring someone and monetizing their legacy.
"It makes you think about how much of what we consume is shaped by timing and marketing rather than the person themselves."
Dr. Jane Goodall became the first person to have an interview released in the series.
Addressing the camera directly in her interview, Goodall said: "Even today when the planet is dark, there still is hope.
"Don't lose hope - if you lose hope you become apathetic and do nothing."
She concluded: "Do your best while you're still on this Planet Earth, that I look down upon from where I am now."