Famous last words

I am not the first to coin this phrase and I am certainly not the last but it sure does sum up what we’re trying to do here: share the incredible life stories of those who have died.

Netflix has a new documentary series called - you guessed it - Famous Last Words. Its first interview was aired in October 2025, days after the death of its subject, the fabulous Dr Jane Goodall.

Now, they have done it again by releasing their episode about American actor Eric Dane, just one day after his death from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). In his review for the Guardian, writer Stuart Heritage calls the episode “profoundly moving”, describing the concept as a “living obituary”.

The New York Times is already all over this concept - of course - with their video series The Last Word, featuring interviews with a wide range of figures who have since died. Their first was published in 2008 and featured photographer Dith Pran who survived Cambodia’s killiing fields and dedicated his life to sharing the story of genocide by the Khmer Rouge. I don’t know about you but hearing the voices, seeing these people speaking… it brings history to life and hopefully, acts as a reminder of how we can do it better in the future.

Oh my word, speaking of words - and last words, for that matter, I almost forgot about BBC Radio 4’s Last Word podcast! I don’t know what to say other than, you should have a listen because it always features a range of characters you may never have heard of so you’ll definitely learn something new each time you listen!