Leonardo DiCaprio shares touching memories of Jane Goodall

Leonardo DiCaprio stood up to pay a touching tribute to Jane Goodall at her memorial service in Washington, D.C.

On Wednesday, November 12, at the Washington National Cathedral, the Oscar winner said, “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,” the actor and environmentalist continued.

DiCaprio reflected on her ability to “light up a room with her stories and somehow inspire everyone she met to believe that they individually could do better.”

Recalling a precious memory, the actor mentioned one time spending time with her at conferences and friends’ homes, where they’d “end up tucked away in a corner” to discuss biodiversity, politics, and their hopes for future generations.

The Titanic star called back his most favorite memories from when he first posed for a photo with the conservationist.

“I looked straight into the camera,” he said. “When I looked to my left, Jane was looking directly at me.”

When DiCaprio asked Goodall’s chosen angle, she told him that was the way she preferred to pose for photographs.

“Because for her, it was never about the image itself,” DiCaprio remembered. “It was about that shared connection. And that small moment said everything to me about who she was: an enlightened Homo sapien.”

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