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.