Jane Goodall's First Time on the Subway

Whiskey? One, two, three. Whiskey. Do you have any? No. Oh, me neither. I drank it. I forgot my flask. All right, we got it. Now let's get in the subway. All right, I forgot my flask. Did you bring a flask? Flask? We're trying to get drunk. Jane, when's the last time you took the subway? I'm not sure I ever have.

You're not sure you ever have? No, I'm not sure. What an honor for me to take my first ever—to take the first ever subway ride with Jane Goodall. Yeah, and I'm looking forward to it. This is incredible. What I think about New York, I think about the Concrete Jungle, which is very similar, maybe, to the regular jungle. I doubt it.

You doubt it? It's not very similar. No, because the New York jungle gives out to two emissions. My jungle takes them in. Right, big difference. Right? This jungle is very bad for the environment. Yep.

When you come to New York, what, what is your favorite food that you eat? Do, do you grab a slice of pizza, or do you grab a hot dog? Oh, no. You don't grab hot dogs. Area, um, well, wherever I go, I like things like Indian takeaway.

Indian takeaway? Yeah? I don't like restaurants.

You don't like restaurants? They waste money. Why waste money?

So you cook your own meals? No, just get takeaway. It's cheaper. The takeaway is cheaper than going out.

Yeah, and sitting down? Much cheaper.

Have you been coming here for a long time? Oh, from New York. Years and years and years and years and years. Years and years and years and years. Yes. I mean, I'm, I'm 90.

Come on, I'm 90? You're 90. Yes. That's a beautiful triumph.

Do you consider—do you consider it a triumph? No, no. It's just it just is what it is. Just what it is. You know what's really interesting is I've known your name since I was seven years old. I'm 38, so I've known your name for 37 years, which is fascinating to me because your work is so profound and inspiring and impactful. But I think it's a testament to how well you've done for the world and the environment that as a little boy, I knew your name. It's interesting, isn't it? I think it's interesting. Thanks to National Geographic, probably. Thanks to National Geographic. I saw a lot of pictures of you with, with chimpanzees.

Yeah, and you look pretty good. Looked pretty good. I was smitten. I was smitten back then. Well, you know, there was a story there that, um, the scientists—because when I began, I had no degree. I hadn't been to University, and I began talking about, you know, everything scientists felt about animals was wrong. They thought we were the only beings on the planet, humans, who had personality, mind, and emotion, which of course is rubbish, right? Um, and so they were absolutely mad when I got on the cover of National Geographic and people began to know who I was, and they said, "Well, she's only there because she's got good legs."

No. So if somebody said that now, they'd be sued, right? I mean, they would be more than sued. Back then, I said to myself, "Well, all I want to do is go and study them. If my legs are helping me get money to do it, good legs."

So you said that's okay? Yeah, that's it. It's okay. It's okay with me as long as I can get to do what I want to do. So there was a lot of sexism. I mean, there's still sexism in science, much less, much less these days, though. And when you were breaking into that, they did actually say things like that, too?

Yeah, some of them were being complimentary, and some of them were really being extremely nasty. You know that lady from Jurassic Park? No, I don't think so.

Have you ever seen the movie Jurassic Park? No.

Oh, and don't see movie. You don't see? Don't have time? You don't see any movies? Well, very rare.

I was going to ask you what your favorite movie was, but my favorite movie is Lord of the Rings. Wait, Lord of the Rings? That's a good movie. I love it.

Wait, I have to say, I can't believe you've never seen the movie Jurassic Park. No, I haven't.

You know what it's about, though, right? Yeah, basically. They take DNA out of a mosquito. They take dinosaur DNA out of mosquito, and then they create a theme park filled with dinosaurs. Real living dinosaurs.

That's, I, you—so Laura Dern? I think that that character in Jurassic Park was based on you. That's my theory. May that's my theory. Maybe it was. I mean, look at the photos. You, you guys look very similar. I think it's possible.

Maybe we'll have to pull it up. Hey, well, that's your theory now. Prove it. I will prove it.

You want me to prove it right now? No. How can you prove it right now?

You can't. Oh, I can prove it. I have the internet at my disposal. I think they based this outfit and this vibe on you. What do you think?

It's much better looking. She's not much better looking than you. I would say that you guys are equals. So this is the home of the, uh, the New York subway rat, which you—that's not a New York rat, right?

This is a giant forest rat. It's a giant forest rat. And what's that rat's name?

Ratty. Ratty. Ratty. I was born loving animals. All animals. No television when I was born 90 years ago, so I learned from nature. But I also love books.

You loved books? And I saved up my money, and I used to spend Saturday afternoon in a little secondhand bookshop. This is during World War II.

Wow. So I just had saved up enough money, and I found this little book called "Tarzan of the Apes."

No, no films back then? So I had just enough money to buy it, and I read it. Of course, I fell in love with that glorious dark jungle warrior. And what did he do?

Swung on vines? Married the wrong Jane.

He did? Oh, my goodness. He's following me around, making a film called "The Real Jane," or chasing Jane. Oh, that's cool. Yeah. So have you, have you been in any other films? Will this be the first film?

No, no. I'm doing all modesty of the, he's producing that, and it's going to be a, not a real Jane, an actress Jane who's acting as Jane. We haven't found one yet. I'll do it. I'll be Jane.

You can't be Jane. Sorry, why not? You know what? Let's get serious about it. Why not? Well, because I think that you don't quite look like Jane.

I don't look like Jane at all? You don't talk like Jane.

I don't talk like I don't talk? I think whatever we did to your face, it still look female. They have to shave me down quite a bit.

Yes, and also your hair isn't quite right? No, it's not. It's not like Jane. Your eyes are the wrong color. There's a lot wrong with me there.

Your nose is the wrong shape. There's a lot wrong with, with, with what I look like in terms of playing Jane in a movie. So you would have to more or less play one of my husbands. One of them? I had two.

Which one should I play? You don't like either.

Sorry, you're actually out of the film. Bad luck. So what's your take? Well, I think, you know, the thing is that young people have such an important role to play, and they don't know how to play it, and that's my job.

100% agreed. Yeah, what do they got to do? Well, they are the next generation. We older generations that messed up the planet—we need to help them, give them the tools, give them the confidence as encourage them, inspire them and empower them to do—to choose projects that they care about.

Mm-hm. And maybe it's clearing in the subway. This looks very clean to me, by the way.

It's pretty clean today. It's pretty clean. Usually I'll say this is a clean train car. Yeah, it looks, looks like a London tube. But you know what? The air conditioning's running a little high.

Yeah, do you use air conditioning? Yes. No, you do?

No, you never use air conditioning? No. Even in Africa, we have farmers. It's really hot in Africa. Yeah. And so you use just fans?

In my house, we use fans. Wow. That's incredible. So I, I heard from various sources that you're a dog lady.

I love dogs. And as a cat person, and my son is a cat person, does that cause conflict in the family? No, not a bit. Not a bit. No.

Has he ever tried to convince you to become a cat person? No, because I love cats too.

But you don't love them as much as dogs? Well, dogs, to me, are my thing. You know why? Because when I was young, I had a dog who was a teacher.

The dog was a teacher? Yes. He taught me that. When I went to Cambridge years later, I was told that only humans had personality, mind, and emotion. I knew that was rubbish because my dog told me that when I was young.

How did he tell you? You've got cats. Do they have personality? Yes.

Do they have minds? Yes.

Do they have?