Celebrated primatologist Jane Goodall, 91, passed away on Wednesday. The award-winning author and environmentalist had done more for the forests and their inhabitants than whole generations combined. She understood the nature of the primates better than anyone, and she proved that on The Late Show.
Almost a year ago, Jane had made an appearance on the talk show and had a conversation with the host Stephen Colbert about her ‘Vote for Nature’ campaign, her favourite type of animal, and some politics. The host and guest started the evening with a glass of bourbon, as Goodall exclaimed, “That is a very good way to start a very good conversation.” Colbert then asked Goodall about how she discovered her love for nature, and surprisingly, the vine-swinging Tarzan had something to do with it.
She said, “When I was 10 years old, having always loved animals, I saved up my pocket money and got a little book called Tarzan of the Apes. I fell in love with that glorious lord of the jungle, and what did he do? He married the wrong Jane. That’s when my dream began, and I had an amazingly supportive mother who helped me do all that.” She added that despite popular belief, chimps aren’t her “favourite animal because they are much like human beings,” and that she loves dogs the most.
She explained how chimps and humans are not very different and said, “We are very arrogant in thinking that we are so special. Chimps are just like us. For example, they live in a male-dominated society. When they are competing for dominance, they stand upright, they swagger and have a furious face and shake their fists in the air. Doesn’t that remind you of some human male politician?”
During a separate interview with Jimmy Fallon, Jane Goodall talked about how she wanted to be remembered. She said, “When I am gone, I want to make absolutely sure that everything I have worked for all my life will be able to carry on. I stay out even more now, because when you get closer to the end, you start realising that there is so much wrong with the world today, and we know that we have harmed the earth and the environment. We must take action now.”
Tributes for Goodall have been pouring in from all quarters, especially from her friends in Hollywood. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio wrote a lengthy message about Goodall and how much she impacted him and the entire world. He said, “Jane Goodall devoted her life to protecting our planet and giving a voice to the wild animals and the ecosystems they inhabit. Her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in Tanzania transformed our understanding of how our closest relatives live, socialise, and think—reminding us that we are deeply connected not only to chimpanzees and the other great apes, but to all life.”
Jane Goodall was just the best…damn.
— Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) October 1, 2025
Comedian and TV show host Ellen DeGeneres also joined in and wrote on Instagram, “Thank you, Jane, for all the good you’ve done. You broke barriers for women all over the world.” Other actors and hosts, such as John Stewart, Jane Fonda, Meghan Markle, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, also remembered Jane Goodall fondly and thanked her for doing what she did for the environment.
