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ABOUT JANE ARTISTIC
VENUES BOOKS MISCELLANEOUS PHOTO
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Read the official press biography THE REAL JANE SEYMOUR Award-winning actress Jane Seymour has showcased her talents across the board in the performance genre, including the Broadway stage, motion pictures and television. Blazing a trail for family-friendly programming, her role as Dr. Michaela Quinn on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman made history. She has added to those talents by capitalizing on her talent as a painter in watercolors and oils, and has just made her grand debut into the fashion world with her Signature Collection, available exclusively through the Crossing Pointe catalog and Web site and sponsored by the Blair Corporation. Today, Seymour's circle of happiness is complete and includes her husband, director James Keach, and their children, as well as success with her new creative endeavors. Ms. Seymour not only has a successful professional career, she's also a hands-on mother, keeping up with six children, and has been active in philanthropic endeavors here and abroad for over twenty years. She’s Dr. Quinn, the western doctor with the right prescription and a movie career "To Die For". As the queen of the miniseries, Jane Seymour has taken us "East of Eden" and taught us of "War and Remembrance." This Bond girl, earth mother and painter has packed in a lot of living. Maybe it's because she's always been something of an overachiever, multi-tasking long before that word was part of the vernacular. The Mother She is, additionally, the hands on mom for twins John and Kristopher, teen-agers Sean and Katie, her stepdaughter Jenny and stepson Kalen. Seymour and her family reside in Malibu, and she owns a 15th century historic manor house near Bath England. Additional information can be found here. How does Seymour manage to maintain her life of mothering, acting, producing, painting, children's book writing and involvement with charities? According to an interview on FamilyPlay.com, Seymour says, "You just have to learn to balance all the pieces of your life and have a good support team of friends and family to rely on." ("FamilyPlay Interview: Jane Seymour," no date) Family always comes first. Whether Seymour is acting or involved in charity work, she is always in reach if her children need her. It is also important to prioritize needs. Although Seymour would like to help out in many more charities, she realizes that she is only one person and people are not going to place a negative impression on her if she has to distribute her time to her family. Spending time as a family is very important. Bedtime is not bedtime for the twins if Seymour does not read them a bedtime story. The twins are always curious to see what happens in the end and there are times when Seymour feels she is reading the book backwards. The Actress A British born beauty, Jane Seymour is the Emmy nominated actress you've enjoyed watching on shows such as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Born Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg on February 15, 1951 in Wimbledon, England, at age 17, she decided to change her name to Jane Seymour because "it scanned nicely and rolled trippingly from the tongue." Frankenberg, on the other hand sounded too close to Frankenstein. From her early childhood in Wimbledon, England, Seymour (daughter of a British obstetrician and his Dutch wife) dreamed of becoming not an actress, but a ballerina. She began training in dance at an early age, and was just thirteen when she made her professional debut with the London Festival Ballet. That same year, she entered the Arts Educational Trust for dance, music and theater training. After attending a prestigious ballet school, she was lucky enough to dance with Russia's renowned Kirov Ballet at just 17 years old. Unfortunately, an injury sustained during her first performance with the Kirov put an end to Seymour's dancing career. "My dream was to dance with the Kirov Ballet, and I did...once." Following this occurrence, Seymour moved onto musical comedy and then acting, where she dedicated herself to that craft with the same commitment she had given her ballet. When she switched her focus to acting, her star rose quickly, leading to a steady stream of work in television miniseries, drama and feature films, as well as several Emmy Awards. After moving to the United States, Seymour faced struggles landing parts for her acting career. Many found her too exotic for a professional actress. Seymour, not giving up eventually landed a part, which later earned her an Emmy nomination. This was when her career began to bloom. Seymour became one of the most sought-after actresses and received several Emmy nominations and two Golden Globes. Her film debut was as a chorus girl in Richard Attenborough's "Oh, What A Lovely War," which resulted in her being discovered by the top agent in the United Kingdom. She played roles in a range of classical plays and performed in radio dramas, such as the BBC's six-hour version of "Far From the Maddening Crowd." But it was as Winston Churchill's first love, Pamela Powden, in the Carl Foreman motion picture, "Young Winston," that Jane attracted the attention of top producers. Her first (and only other) television series was the BBC-TV project, "The Onedin Line," and this led to her casting in the starring role of Solitaire in one of the most popular James Bond films, "Live and Let Die." This attracted Hollywood interest, but Seymour opted to return to the boards of English repertory theatres to tackle such classic leading ladies as Shakespeare's Ophelia and Lady Macbeth, and Ibsen's Nora in "A Doll House." She returned to film with "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger," followed by a string of America-bound British television specials including "Frankenstein: The True Story," Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend," and "King David." Able to convey virtually any accent with accuracy, she demonstrated this with her first Hollywood starring role in the six-hour television mini-series, "Captains and Kings." Her portrayal of a proper Bostonian brought her the first of many Emmy nominations. Jane was soon cast opposite Christopher Reeve in "Somewhere in Time," a favorite romantic film for many which is now a cult classic and most recently had its 20th Anniversary re-release on the "big screen." She then starred with Chevy Chase in "Oh! Heavenly Dog," followed by the highly acclaimed ABC-TV adaptation of John Steinbeck's "East of Eden," for which she won the Golden Globe Best Actress Award as Cathy/Kate. On the Broadway stage, she originated the role of Constanza Weber, wife of Mozart in the Broadway hit "Amadeus." Television mini-series also proved to be a favorable medium for Jane's talents. She won recognition for her work in "Jack, The Ripper," and "War and Remembrance." For the latter, she was nominated on two successive years in the Best Actress category for both the Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. She won the Emmy Award as Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Maria Callas in ABC-TV's "The Richest Man Alive," based on the life of Aristotle Onassis. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Best Actress Award for her performance as the Duchess of Windsor in the CBS-TV movie "The Woman He Loved." A multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winner, Jane Seymour has proven her talents in virtually all acting venues: the Broadway stage, motion pictures and television. Seymour made television history with her six season "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" series, blazing a trail for family-friendly programming to return to series TV. The program fostered a devoted audience and wide audience demand for fulfilling, informative drama that parents could share and enjoy with their children. This was so strong that a national, in fact, international, furor was occasioned by the series' cancellation, even though it had handily won its slot in every season. Jane not only succeeded in making Saturday night a respectable series address again but also effectively activated family audiences to demand alternatives to violent and sexual programming. Most recently the actress has starred in several highly-rated television movies, including two movie-of-the-week sequels to her series "Dr. Quinn: The Movie." The beloved "Dr. Quinn" series was the latest success in a star career encompassing international movie stardom, Broadway and London stage acclaim (including creating the role of Constanza in "Amadeus" in New York) and a number of highly-regarded mini-series and movies. Apart from the "Dr. Quinn" honors, she also has been awarded or nominated for roles as diverse as her concentration camp survivor in "War and Remembrance," John Steinbeck's fascinating "East of Eden" vixen and her riveting evocations of Maria Callas and Wallis Simpson. The artist has also emerged as a significant producer of distinguished projects. Through Catfish Productions, in which she is partnered with her husband, she has executed such programs as "Sunstroke" and "A Passion For Justice." The company's most recent high-rated movies include "The Absolute Truth" and "A Marriage of Convenience", both which brought hot reviews and high audience numbers. The Author In addition to acting, Jane established herself as a successful author, publishing her first book, "Jane Seymour's Guide to Romantic Living" in 1986. She also teamed with her husband to write a series of exceedingly successful children's books entitled "This One and That One" inspired by her highly and delightfully altered life since she gave birth to their twins in late 1995. Before the twins were born, at the couple's sonogram visits, Jane would ask, "How is this one doing?" or "What about that one?" Hence the title of the series. Published by Putnam, the books transpose their household into a family of cats whose lives are constantly energized by the antics of their toddler kitty twins, This One and That One. The twins give gray whiskers to their parent cats, Lady Jane and Big Jim. Recently, Jane has authored a book on twins, entitled "Two at a Time: Having Twins." The Charity Worker Apart from her busy life of acting, producing, mothering and painting, Jane Seymour is also a dedicated activist for a number of charities...seeking to improve the desperate lot of many of the world's children. Seymour is the Honorary Chairperson for City Hearts, an organization that enriches the lives of abused children, inner-city children, and incarcerated delinquent youths, by teaching the performing arts, including painting, dancing and acting. She is, as well, ambassador for children's issues for the film world's charitable arm, Entertainment Industries Foundation/Permanent Charities. Actively involved in numerous charitable causes, Jane works for Childhelp USA, a national organization dedicated to the research, treatment and prevention of child abuse, as International Ambassador. The organization's "Woman of the World" award is one of many honors she has won for her social and charitable achievements. Seymour has also been involved with a number of other charity organizations, including UNICEF, City Hearts, and Make-A-Wish Foundation, and has recently been named to the Celebrity Cabinet of the American Red Cross. Her talents as a watercolor and sketch artist led to the production of a series of greeting cards sold to support her charities. One of her watercolors is featured on a special Discover Card, raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, following the work's charity auction for $25,000 at the Guggenheim Museum. Similarly for charity, she designed and painted a special edition bottle for Korbel Champagne. The Artist Amidst the hustle and bustle of her busy life, Jane finds sanctuary and peace in her art studio. A long-ago lover of art, she first set her brush to the canvas in the early 1990's as a healing therapy during a time of personal trial and began what has now become a successful and global endeavor. Titus Fine Art, the highly regarded Beverly Hills, California firm, is the exclusive worldwide representative of Jane Seymour's original paintings, watercolors and limited-edition prints. They have been handling Jane's work since 1997. Jane is the antithesis of the celebrity capitalizing on her notoriety to sell her art. There are many who purchase her art before knowing she is the artist. Jane's work is exceptional and classifies as the ultimate in quality and style. A love of flower gardening has provided a major inspiration for many of Seymour's artworks. She has successfully merged the two worlds, and the marriage of her two passions has formed the foundation for her creative expression on canvas. The Clothing Designer Jane's most recent project is the unveiling of her brand-new clothing line, the Jane Seymour Signature Collection. She finds her inspiration from her love of art. Now, she can share her art with others in a more affordable manner, teaming with a well-known clothing corporation and catalog company. The fashions will be inspired by Ms. Seymour's artwork and sold exclusively through Blair's Crossing Pointe catalog and web site www.crossingpointe.com which offers high quality, affordable women's fashions that appeal to consumers influenced by today's lifestyle and environment. She selected Blair because of the company's experience, high level of credibility and integrity. Working with Blair on a women's fashion line fulfills a lifelong aspiration for her. She has long enjoyed painting in both watercolors and oils, and now she can transform her artwork and creative energy into fashion designs and offer an affordable line of women's apparel that embodies her art and lifestyle. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How much do you know about Jane Seymour? Take this quiz to find out. Answers at the bottom. 1. Jane’s
first love was not acting. What was it? 2. Jane
appears as a Bond girl in which film? 3. Who was
Jane's co-star and love interest in "Somewhere in Time?" 4. What
is the title of the how-to book Jane authored? 5. In which
TV miniseries did Jane play an American Jew trapped in Nazi Germany? 6. Jane
won her only Emmy for which role? 7. What
is Jane’s current husband’s occupation? 8. How many
children has Jane given birth to? 9. Besides
acting and producing, what other activity occupies Jane’s time? Answers: 1.a 2.c 3.a 4.b 5.a 6.b 7.c 8.d 9.a References: "FamilyPlay Interview: Jane Seymour." (no date). "PAX TV article." (no date) |
If
there ever was a woman that could remain attractive, even being near age
50 or beyond, it would be Jane Seymour. Only one word describes her: beautiful.
She was raised with class, has that delightful refined English accent
many love, is hard working, has a warm charitable heart, and is amazingly
down-to-earth. Jane Seymour is an exotic beauty whose finely honed acting
talent has seen her through a successful, interesting and still-growing
career. Her career spans decades and she is one of the best known television
actresses ever. She was even a Bond girl. They say having children wears
you down so much that your appearance fades more quickly. Well, Jane has
had four, and she has barely changed at all in the last thirty years.
It seems as if that saying isn't true at all.