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Feminist icon and Ms. Magazine founder Gloria Steinem shared her last words. The day after her death, Netflix released her episode of Famous Last Words, a series in which Brad Falchuk interviews privately influential people and releases the interview only after they have died. Filmed in February 2025, Steinem had a wide-ranging conversation, including how she viewed herself as a leader of the feminist movement in the 70s. “I hope I wasn’t the face of the feminist movement,” she said. “It’s not right. It’s a diverse movement. [My fame] has more to do with endurance … because I’ve just lasted longer, because I’ve stayed at it longer.”
As for how she feels about death, she just hoped that her actions could leave a lasting impact and inspire others. “I don’t know if we can contemplate our own nonexistence, but I just hope that I have — however accidentally — left behind some words, or actions, or stories, or something that is useful to the people,” she said. “And pleasurable, hopefully, to the people who are going to continue long after you and me.” She hopes she’s remembered as someone “who tried to make the world a little more equal, compassionate, joyful, funny than it was.”
“Hello, all you unique individuals out there. I’m so glad to be meeting you through the magic of the media. I wish I could meet each one of you in person, but in a way, this is what allows us now to see each other’s lives, to influence each other’s lives, to respect each other — and to, therefore, perpetuate what we hope is a global democracy.
Please feel free to respond in any way you can, and please tell your own story. This is the most important thing we can do for each other — to know each other through stories. And I hope so much that whoever you are, listening right now, you are able to do what you love — [and] to be, also, the unique person you are.”
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