8 Profound Messages by People Who Knew They Were Dying

8 Profound Comments Made by People Who Knew They Were Dying

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were looking at the famous last words and statements of well-known public figures that provoked thought, touched the heart, and more.

Stan Laurel

Alongside his partner in crime Oliver Hardy, actor and filmmaker Laurel helped to redefine comedy for the 20th century, setting the stage for performers to come. Once Hardy died in 1957, Laurel definitively retired from the arts, declaring that he did not wish to appear onscreen without his longtime comedy partner. On February 23, 1965, Laurel would die in his armchair, aged 74 but not before imparting one final comedic pearl to his nurse. Laurel shared, out of nowhere, that he would like to go skiing. The nurse responded by telling him she didnt know he was a skier. In his final words, Laurel joked that hed rather be doing that than getting all these needles stuck in me!

Chadwick Boseman

This one still stings. In late August of 2020, Oscar nominee and Black Panther star Boseman shocked the world by unexpectedly passing away, aged only 43. Unbeknownst to the public at large, Boseman had, some years earlier, been diagnosed with stage III colon cancer, which had progressed to stage IV before his death. Shortly after his passing, Black Panther producer Nate Moore shared the moving final text that the late actor had sent him. Discussing his involvement with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Boseman remarked that If we were able to ease their suffering and bring joy for a moment, and hopefully moments (as) he goes through the bags, then we made a difference in his life.

Chris McCandless

Largely unknown to the world during his lifetime, McCandless has risen to posthumous admiration and notoriety following his 1992 death. McCandless, an Emory University graduate, was an aspiring outdoorsman who left his home in 1990 to pursue a nomadic lifestyle. Over time, McCandless hitchhiked his way across the country, eventually ending up in the harsh, unforgiving Alaskan bush. McCandless didnt realize he was in over his head, and several abortive attempts to procure food ultimately resulted in his death, aged 24. All the while, McCandless kept a journal, and his final message to the world consisted of a written note. The note read simply: I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD. GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!

Leonard Nimoy

The original Mr. Spock himself had an appropriately galactic final message to the world. Best known for having played the straitlaced Spock for nearly five decades, Nimoy was associated with the character from Star Treks 1966 debut until his death in February of 2015, aged 83. In fact, Nimoy was so heavily intertwined with his famous character that his first autobiography was titled I Am Not Spock... and 20 years later, in 1995, his second was titled I Am Spock. Days before his 2015 death, Nimoy released his final tweet, an excerpt of poetry that read A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP. Or, for the uninitiated: Live long and prosper, a Vulcan blessing.

David Bowie

Much like Chadwick Boseman, rock legend Bowies passing came as a shock to millions of his adoring fans. Diagnosed with liver cancer, the influential musician played it cool until the very end, declining to reveal his illness and instead continuing the boundary-pushing work he was famous for. To this end, Bowies final album, the critically acclaimed Blackstar, was found in retrospect to contain clues and hints as to the rock stars impending demise. As part of a ceremony honoring the late musician at the 2016 BRIT Awards, his longtime friend Gary Oldman shared a goodbye message from Bowie: Music has given me over 40 years of extraordinary experiences. [...] It has been my doorway of perception and the house that I live in.

Robin Williams

In the aftermath of Williams death, his widow, Susan Schneider, referred to the Lewy body dementia he was afflicted with as the terrorist inside my husbands brain and that Depression is a symptom of LBD and it's not about psychology it's rooted in neurology. His brain was falling apart. The beloved actor and comedian took his own life in 2014. In an interview conducted in November of 2015, Schneider recounted the simple, final conversation that they shared. Before going to bed, Williams called out Good night, my love. Although Schneiders hopes that Williams health was improving didnt come to pass, the Oscar winners legacy more than speaks for itself.

Oscar Wilde

One of the most revered and widely read authors of his time, Wilde was best-known for his 1891 Gothic horror novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Outside of his work, Wilde was a known provocateur, pushing the limits of what was considered polite British society, and experiencing persecution for his open homosexuality. Famed for his cutting wit, Wilde took that aspect of his personality with him to the end, just ahead of his 1900 death from meningitis. Weeks before his passing, Wilde is reported to have declared that My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us has to go.

Steve Jobs

The visionary co-founder of Apple was hardly known for being easy to work with. But his contributions to science, technology, and the world at large will be discussed and analyzed for generations to come. Jobs, who is credited with establishing Apple as a dominant innovator in the tech space and across several industries, was diagnosed with a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor in 2003. Eight years later, he was gone, a result of respiratory arrest brought on by the tumor. Jobs sister Mona Simpson reported that, in his final moments, Jobs looked at his family, then past them, before uttering Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.

Which final message moved you the most? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.