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I HATE JANE SEYMOUR PARODY

FOJ Online Chat
Thursday, December 12, 2002 (transcribed by the Webmaster)

Host: Welcome to the Jane Seymour Official Web Site Chat Room! We're glad you could join us tonight, as our guest of honor is Lady Jane herself!

Host: As many of you already know, Jane is a multi-award-winning actress and devoted mother who also finds time to paint, write books, design clothes and do charity work in her spare time. Next Fall, she will be unveiling a new line of children's clothing based on her children's books, This One & That One, and a selection of home decor items through Saks Department Stores based on her art. Her newest movie, Heart of a Stranger aired earlier this month.

Host: Tonight, we'll begin by chatting about her movie, but will also venture into other topics as well.

Host: Now, without further ado, please welcome our guest for the evening, Jane Seymour!

JaneSeymour: Hello! I'm thrilled to be here with everyone. First to get started, I know a lot of you are probably wondering about Dr. Quinn and future movies. I wish I had better news. All I can say is you never know. I hold almost zero hope at this point. There seems to be no interest at all from CBS. As we know, they own it. If they contact me, I'll be there with my medical bag in hand.
As for my latest movie, everyone loved Heart of a Stranger. We did too. Apparently, it beat last year's ratings for the holiday movie of December. Lifetime is very happy. I spoke to my agent who was contacted by Lifetime, and they are extremely pleased with the result. Very encouraging.

MaryannM: How did you come to be in this movie, Jane?

JaneSeymour: Lifetime had offered me 5 different movies over the years. This was by far the best script. So, I accepted it. Then, I found it was a true story, which for me made it even better.

janeln78: Hi Jane, I met you in Sept. in Bethesda Maryland. Very exciting! You left that day for Nova Scotia to film your movie. Did you enjoy filming there? How long did it take to film?

JaneSeymour: It took just over 4 weeks to film. I loved Nova Scotia. It's surely one of the most beautiful places in the world. It's really worth visiting and not too expensive. The people are very nice. I highly recommend it as a spring/summer or early fall. Definitely NOT winter. :-)

Madeleine: What about this movie caught your attention and what kind of material do you like?

JaneSeymour: I like good material, which is very hard to find these days. I particularly liked the mother/daughter relationship in this movie. I identified with it, as I have daughters. I felt the acting challenge of playing a woman dying of heart disease who then becomes a teenager would be fun. In this case, it was. I had a ball playing this role. I usually like movies that make me cry when I read them. But that's not the only criteria.

Mandy: Did you meet any of the people the movie Heart Of A Stranger is based on?

JaneSeymour: I spent one week with Claire Sylvia, the woman who was the real "Jill" She was wonderful. I also met with doctors in Nova Scotia who actually perform heart transplants and met with a couple of families of organ donors. Everyone was very helpful and a pleasure to meet.

HarrietG: Hi Jane, I hope all of you are enjoying the chocolates! Do you know how to shoot pool, or did you learn for the film? That was an impressive bank shot!

JaneSeymour: Thanks, Harriet. The chocolates vanished. They were delicious. Yes, I do play pool. Yes, I did my own bank shot. The crew and director had money on me, and everyone lost, I got all the shots in on camera. I had to do it at least 6 times. It was our last scene in the movie. So, I stayed on and played pool with the rest of the crew and we all bought one another drinks.

Sarah: How hard was it for you to do a movie like Heart of a Stranger? Will you do more movies like that next year?

JaneSeymour: It wasn't hard. It was very satisfying. I always look for good subjects like this one. We also develop projects with our company, CatFish, too. We have lots of ideas. Hopefully I'll find something as good if not better next year.

HarrietG: This role was quite different from many of your other roles, did you enjoy the change?

JaneSeymour: Absolutely. I try not to repeat roles unless I'm in a series. I really enjoyed this character. She was a lot of fun to play.

MaryannM: Jane, what was the most difficult scene emotionally for you to do in Heart of a Stranger?

JaneSeymour: Doing the speech that she watches on television without crying was hard. The scene with the nurse where I beg her to tell me who the donor is. I don't think of what's hard. I just do it.

Trinia: You did a wonderful job in displaying the many different emotions and characteristics of this character. It's good when you can look at a person and only see the actual character instead of simply seeing the actor and saying this person is a good actor/actress. Do you look forward to playing more roles that are comical or playful in nature?

JaneSeymour: I love to play comedy. This was a fun character to play. I really enjoyed it.

FKemble: Hi Jane. First, greetings from cold Germany (grins). Jane, I know sometimes actors that just made a movie, didn't even get a chance to see it themselves. Have you seen it already, eventually with your family, and what did you, as a viewer, think of it? What did your family, esp. your children think of both the movie and your portrayal of Jill's character? I know children are the best critics of all, they tell you straight what they think.

JaneSeymour: I only saw it on the night it was aired. I saw it without music or sound before that, I only saw it finished on the 9th. I thought the performances were excellent, and the photography was interesting. I thought Maggie Lawson was excellent. The parents of the donor were excellent. My children haven't had a chance to see it yet, but they will. It was past their bedtime when it aired on Monday.

HarrietG: Did making "Heart of a Stranger" change your life in any way?

JaneSeymour: I always believed in organ donations, but I felt even more strongly about it. Yet again, I was reminded of how precious life is and health is and family.

Tamara: Are you an organ donor, and if so, what traits would you hope your recipient received from you? What would you consider your best and worst trait?

JaneSeymour: I am an organ donor. Mostly, my donor recipient would have a healthy eating habit and enjoy raw vegetables and love to paint. :-) I really don't know. I guess honesty and impatience would go with both of them. They're good traits and bad ones for me, depending upon the circumstances.

Ann P: The movie is sensational; I enjoyed the 'coming-of-age' for moms & children theme tremendously, as that's where I am with our kids now; I could feel her angst... & joy... As a health care provider, the donor message cannot be stressed enough; I think the public thinks their loved one would be mutilated or something, so hope people called the numbers to obtain the true facts; i.e. that any retrieval is handled exactly as a surgical procedure, including surgical repair of any incisions.

JaneSeymour: Thank you for spreading the good word. When you meet people especially young people who receive a second chance at life thanks to a donation of a life that was taken prematurely by some accident, it makes the sadness of the passing on of the donor seem less futile. I think that the message of the movie. Nothing is for nothing. There's always a reason for everything that happens. Something good can come out of a bad circumstances.

BosleyChow: When you read the script from Heart of a Stranger was there any pivotal scene or scenes you read that made you think this is a really good script and I must do it?

JaneSeymour: It was the overall script. Very well written. It wasn't too predictable.

DQBuds: Do you think that it is harder or easier to portray a real person in a film such as Heart of a Stranger when that real person is on the movie set watching your performance?

JaneSeymour: I never attempted to play Claire Sylvia. I was just depicting another woman in similar circumstances. Claire was very helpful to me and fun to know!

HarrietG: Outside of any of the movies in which you've starred, what is your favorite movie of all-time?

JaneSeymour: Outside of the ones in which I've starred? That's tough. How about Schindler's List, Gone with the Wind. I have too many to narrow it down to a favorite. The list can go on and on.

Larry_Ta: I remember that you were in a wonderful mini-series with Elizabeth Montgomery & Hal Holbrook called "The Awakening Land" in 1978. Do you have any memories of you & Liz on the set, or any behind the scenes anecdotes or stories from that shoot?

JaneSeymour: I do. Elizabeth Montgomery was a wonderful woman, and very supportive to me. She was the first, indeed only, star to invite me into her trailer. I remember this as being a very special treat and vowed that if I ever had a trailer, I would share it with younger actresses. It set a precedent for me, one I follow to this day.

Mandy: First Greetings from Chicago! What is your favorite location to film a movie or t.v. series?

JaneSeymour: That's really hard. Puerto Rico was beautiful for Swiss Family Robinson. Chris and I had a lot of fun on Mackinac Island. I've filmed in so many amazing locations: Paris, Rome, England, Ireland, Germany, Venice... it's not easy to pick just one. The documentaries I've done have taken me to the most exotic locations. Africa and Japan.

Kathleen: Hi, Jane, I watch DQ reruns every night and really enjoyed Heart of a Stranger...I would love to meet you some day. Are you planning a visit to Colorado in the near future? If so, where, when? Anything near Fort Collins or Denver?

JaneSeymour: I don't know, however I hope to go skiing in Colorado this winter.

JanaC: Do you listen to special music while making a film or a series? Anything to help you get more into character or study your part?

JaneSeymour: No, not really. Although I love music. I used to play the score of Schindler's List on my way to work for Dr. Quinn. I don't know why that piece but I loved that music. It's soulful. It would inspire me as much as the scenic view on the way to the set.

JudiD: Is there a role that now in retrospect, you regret doing?

JaneSeymour: I don't live in regret. Some were more successful than others. But the enjoyment of being there is also something I value. I could have done without The Tunnel.

Helene_D: Hello Jane, I am very honored to speak with you. Your talent is huge and indisputable. You have proven this many times in both your life and your acting. So, because of this freedom that you acquired, how do you choose your movies characters today? Are your choices exclusively dictated by the wish to transmit messages on topics that are dear to you and in which you believe? - Best regards from France

JaneSeymour: The choice is limited because most actresses my age are unemployed. I'm very fortunate to be getting the roles I get. I believe it's creating my own opportunities. I keep looking for good ideas. No, they're not dictated by that. I enjoy movies that have a message, but the main priority is to entertain. And to tell a story that's compelling.

MaryannM: You seem to be very drawn to real life stories. What is it about this genre that appeals to you so much and is it limiting artistically when the character is a real person and not one you actually create?

JaneSeymour: Real stories are far more interesting than made up ones, but the made-up ones are usually based on some human experience. I don't limit myself to one or the other. I just have to pick the best from what's offered.

Debbie: I just saw that movie that you did with Chris Reeve, "Somewhere In Time". I hope you do another movie from the classic stories or period piece soon. You are wonderful in those kind of films. Do you and Chris still keep in touch and how is he doing these days?

JaneSeymour: Chris and I are in touch a great deal. He seems to be doing well. We're hoping to find a movie that we can act in together. We're currently actively pursuing that.

BosleyChow: In Yesterday's Children in your opinion after having portrayed the character of Mary, why do you think a kind and gentle soul like Mary could have ended up with a mean and cruel man such as John?

JaneSeymour: There are many kind and gentle souls married to alcoholics. It seems to be a common occurence. A lot of women feel that they can't do anything about it, that they have no choice.

sydney: Would you like to do a weekly series again or would it clash with your art and designer projects that keep you busy. If you are interested, what type of series would you like to do?

JaneSeymour: I'm discussing a series at the moment. I won't do one unless I feel very strongly about it. It would definitely have to be ensemble-oriented to make it more interesting and conceivable for me to work on. However, I'm really enjoying designing at the moment. I'm very excited about the upcoming children's clothing and home decor collections for Saks and my spring line for Crossing Pointe. I'm going to have my own catalogue, so it's a very exciting time!

mynse: Hey Jane! Have you considered working together with Joe Lando in another movie, not a DQ project? I'd love to see the two of you acting together again. Maybe in a romantic comedy? Christmas greetings from Denmark...

JaneSeymour: We have definitely spoken about it. I plan to see Joe this weekend. We stay in close contact. He's currently with the same agent as me now. We both would like to work together again. With the same agent, this is more possible.

JudiD: Are you mainly focusing on television movie roles nowadays or would you still be interested in silver big screen movie roles? Would you consider doing theatre again?

JaneSeymour: I'm interested in all of the above, however, theatre would take a long time. It's a big commitment away from my family, but I have been offered theatre recently. I have a film in the can that's still showing in film festivals all around the world. Touching Wild Horses. However, it's frustrating to make a feature that doesn't have a definite release. Which is the case with most features. At least with television, there will be an audience. Ultimately, everything ends up on TV and video.

Jessica: Did you get to Meet Celine Dion when she was your singing voice for Quest for Camelot? If you did, what was your impression of her?

JaneSeymour: I met her after that movie. We became good friends. I liked her very much. She was very curious as to how I could work and have children. That was before she had her own. I've spoken to her since she had her baby and congratulated her. I think she has an incredible voice!

Helen1: Living in the UK, we don't get to see too many of your movies. Are there any plans to make any films in the UK for UK TV?

JaneSeymour: I haven't been offered any for a long time. If I were, I would certainly be happy to do one.

JudiD: Can we expect anything from Catfish Productions in near future?

JaneSeymour: We have a second film company we run called PCH Films and we just produced a documentary called a Disease of the Wind which won the best documentary award at the Dallas Film Festival. We plan to make more movies with both CatFish and PCH.

ChowBosley: Any chance we’ll see you do a guest appearance on any prime time television dramas this season or the near future?

JaneSeymour: I have no idea. I haven't been asked. With all of my children, I don't watch enough TV to know what's good.

DQBuds: Do props and costumes help you become the character better, or have you already become the character inside your mind before you step onto a set or stage?

JaneSeymour: I've already become the character.

MoTuck: Hi, Jane. I loved Heart of a Stranger. My daughter is the recipient of a bone donor. Excluding the present, what do you consider one of your greater times in life. What age were you when this time happened. How did it affect you in the long term?

JaneSeymour: The birth of my first child. When Katie was born was magic. I could never imagine I could love anyone so much. I'd also just finished East of Eden, Amadeus and Somewhere in Time. It was good on all accounts.

Host: Sadly, our time has come to an end. We thank you for joining us and especially thank Jane Seymour for taking the time to chat and answer questions. Jane, do you have any closing remarks?

JaneSeymour: Thank you for this chat. It was great to speak with all of you. Those I've seen recently, I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Host: We appreciate your cooperation in helping this chat run smoothly. A transcript will be posted in the Jane Sightings section of this web site. Feel free to visit the Guestbook in the Communicate section to share your thanks to Jane for this evening.
Host: Thank you again for coming and have a safe and happy holiday season! Goodnight.