Leonardo DiCaprio honours ‘good friend’ Jane Goodall at Washington memorial

Leonardo DiCaprio attended Jane Goodall’s funeral service in Washington, where he presented a touching tribute to the late primatologist and conservationist’s legacy.

DiCaprio and Goodall had connected due to their shared passion for environmental conservation and their work against climate change. He referred to the trailblazing English anthropologist as “gentle, curious, funny, witty, and absolutely unstoppable”.

“It is a privilege to stand here today honouring a person of such immense magnitude. An extraordinary woman who changed not only the world, but so many of us in it, my good friend, Jane Goodall,” the 51-year-old actor began his eulogy. “Most people knew her as Jane Goodall, the icon, the legend. But the Jane I was fortunate enough to get to know was gentle, curious, funny, witty, and absolutely unstoppable.”

He further noted that while “environmental issues” may elicit feelings of “destruction and loss”, admitting that “it’s something I’ve always struggled with myself”, Goodall “never lingered in despair. She focused on what could be done.”

The Academy Award winning artist concluded his lengthy address with, “Jane often said ‘Every day that we live, we can make an impact on the planet’. May ours be an impact of hope for her, for all living things and for the generations to come.”

Jane Goodall passed away on October 1 from natural causes when she was conducting a speaking tour in the US, the Jane Goodall Institute had announced.

While her funeral service was observed at the Washington National Cathedral on November 12 and attended by significant guests like Leonardo DiCaprio, US Democrat Representative Nancy Pelosi, as well as Goodall’s family members.