JANE SEYMOUR
The raven-haired daughter of a prosperous British gynecologist, Jane Seymour made her stage debut at 13 as a member of the London Festival Ballet, after training at the Arts Educational School. Five years later, she switched to acting, making her screen bow as part of a huge ensemble in Oh, What A Lovely War! (1968). She entered the fan-mag files with her portrayal of the enigmatic Solitaire in the 1973 James Bond epic Live and Let Die, following this with a barely dressed ingenue turn in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1974).
While her subesquent film appearances were well-received (as was her engagement in the 1980 Broadway production of Amadeus), Seymour's larger fame rested on her prolific TV work, notably on such miniseries as "East of Eden" and "War and Remembrance." In 1988, she won an Emmy for her portrayal of Maria Callas in the TV miniseries "Onassis." Four years later, she landed one of her most successful roles to date, that of the title heroine of the TV series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Although the popular show eventually went off the air, Seymour starred in its made-for-TV movie version in 1999.
In 2005 Seymour made a welcome return to feature films with a deftly comedic turn in the Owen Wilson-Vince Vaughn comedy "Wedding Crashers," playing the seemingly high-class wife of a high-powered politico (Christopher Walken) who has some devlish designs on the cad (Wilson) who's pursuing her daughter (Rachel McAdams). The actress bravely bared more than her soul for the film in a cheeky scene in which Wilson gets more than a handful of her charms, Seymour's figure still in fine Bond Girl form in her fifties.
Hot off of that film's success, Seymour returned to television as the star of the WB's comedy "Modern Men" playing Dr. Stangl, a life coach who helps three men in their 20s at different stages in their romantic lives.
Seymour continued to astound audiences by joining the fifth season of "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2007 ) and showing the younger dancers what class and elegance was all about, even weathering the death of her mother during the show's run. She did not win the coveted disco ball trophy, but stayed in the game long enough to show fans her graceful moves on the dance floor, having wanted to be a dancer all her life.
Actively involved in numerous charitable causes, Seymour is a member of the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet. Her work with the Red Cross includes a recent trip to Africa where Keach captured the entire eye-opening experience on film for an award-winning documentary “Disease of the Wind,” which won the Lionel Rogosin Documentary Award and Audience Award Best Documentary at the Dallas Film Festival.
Additionally Seymour works with Childhelp, a national organization dedicated to the research, treatment and prevention of child abuse, as International Ambassador. She is also the Honorary Chairperson for City Hearts, an organization that enriches the lives of inner-city children and disadvantaged youths, by teaching the performing arts, including painting, dancing and acting. In 2008, Seymour was introduced to Camp Soaring Eagle, a medically based residential camp for children suffering with serious illnesses in Sedona, Arizona. She is now the official spokesperson for Camp Soaring Eagle and is assisting in raising awareness and funding to build what will be the only year-round, completely dedicated medical camp in the Southwest.
When she is not acting, writing or designing, Seymour can be found in her painting studio. With a thriving career as an artist and her own art gallery in Los Angeles, she has exhibited in numerous galleries and venues across the nation. Her talents have led the way to the artist being asked to create costume and set designs for the Houston Ballet’s production of “Five Poems” in 2001, the mounting of her first one woman museum exhibition in 2004 at the Butler Institute of American Art, as well as being selected as one of the official painters of the 2005 Torino Winter Olympics, and the official artist of the 2006 Naples Winter Wine Festival, the 2008 Beijing Olympics and most recently the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
In January 2009 Running Press released Seymour's ninth book, Open Hearts, and the 2010 sequel, Among Angels. In 2002, Seymour penned an autobiographical book, Remarkable Changes, profiling personal stories of others who have experienced positive transformation in the face of life-changing crisis. In addition, Seymour and her husband, actor/director James Keach, have co-authored a series of exceedingly successful children’s books entitled This One and That One, inspired by their highly and delightfully altered life since the actress gave birth to twins in late 1995. She is also the author of "Two At a Time: A Journey through Twin Pregnancy and Birth."
The artist has also emerged as a significant producer of distinguished projects. Through Catfish Productions, she and James Keach have produced, starred and directed such programs as "Sunstroke," "A Passion for Justice," “Praying Mantis," "The Absolute Truth," “Enslavement: The Fanny Kemble Story,” “Murder in the Mirror,” “Dr. Quinn, The Movie,” “A Marriage of Convenience” and "Blackout." All these films brought both hot reviews and high audience numbers.
Seymour resides in Malibu, California with Keach and their children.
