A multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winner, recipient of the Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in the year 2000, which was bestowed upon her by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, Jane Seymour has proven her talents in virtually all media, the Broadway stage, motion pictures and television. Her love of art and color has led to her great success as a painter in watercolors, oils and sculpture as a designer.
In 2022, Seymour made her return to series television in “Harry Wild” for AMC’s streaming channel Acorn TV. Seymour stars as Dublin based retired literature professor Harriet “Harry” Wild who stumbles into a second act as a private investigator solving crimes with her literary expertise and young, streetwise sidekick much to the consternation of her son, a detective in the Dublin police. The series, which is filmed on location in Ireland and airs in numerous countries around the world, returns for its third season in 2024 airing on Acorn as well as BBC America.
Maintaining a long-standing career of undertaking character driven roles, Seymour appeared in the award winning “The Kominsky Method” on Netlflix where she starred alongside Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. The 2020 feature film “The War with Grandpa” teamed Seymour with Robert DeNiro in a comedic family film for which she received high reviews. Her now classic turn in “The Wedding Crashers” paired her with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson playing the sexually charged wife of Christopher Walken and changed the industry landscape for Seymour, showcasing her comedy skills to a broad audience that quickly embraced the acting range that Seymour exhibited. Suddenly she became a “go to” star for memorable roles on top comedy shows like “How I Met Your Mother,” the long running “Jane the Virgin” and Chuck Lorre’s “B Positive” and films such as “Austenland” with Keri Russell and Jennifer Coolidge.
Awarded a Golden Globe for her role as “Dr. Quinn,” Seymour made history with her six season “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” series, blazing a trail for family-worthy programming to return to series TV. The program fostered such a devoted global audience and such a wide audience demand for fulfilling, informative drama that parents could share and enjoy with their children that a national in fact, international uproar by the series’ cancellation even though it had always won its timeslot in every season and airs in nearly 100 countries. Her television movie, the second made for TV movie of that cancelled series, “Dr. Quinn: The Heart Within” aired during May Sweeps 2001 in its original timeslot and handily surpassed its Saturday night competition going on to win the ratings war on Saturday night, again proving the fans loyalty to Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, one of the most beloved characters to grace the small screen.
Seymour has reached success with a star career encompassing international movie stardom with such films as “Lassiter” with Tom Selleck “Somewhere in Time” with Christopher Reeve and “Live and Let Die” opposite Roger Moore, Broadway acclaim including originating the role of Constanza in the Tony Award winning production of “Amadeus” and television achievements in “War and Remembrance” “The Scarlet Pimpernel” and “East of Eden” in addition to several highly rated television movies and mini-series totaling nearly 150 hours of televised programming earning her the title Queen of the Mini-Series.
The artist has also emerged as a significant producer of distinguished projects. Through her production company she has produced and starred in 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 of these television films brought both hot reviews and high audience numbers.
Seymour served as an executive producer on the documentary film “Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me”, which told the touching story of musician Glen Campbell’s farewell tour while dealing with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Her film “Bereave”, in which she starred with Malcolm McDowell as well as produced, was lauded at film festivals around the world and tells the story of a terminally ill man who thinks he has figured out how to die but when his beloved wife goes missing, he must live to save her. Continuing her roles in poignant issue-oriented films, Seymour stars in the drama “Ruby’s Choice” a poignant tale that follows three generations of strong Australian women. Bonded by shared moments of wisdom and joy, secrets from the family’s past are revealed as Ruby’s dementia illness threatens to push them apart. The film, which was shot on location in Australia during the height of the global pandemic has received rave reviews from festivals around the globe and is currently available on demand.
Daughter of a British obstetrician and his Dutch wife, Jane was born in Hillingdon, England and raised in Wimbledon. 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 theatre training and danced with the visiting Kirov Ballet at Covent Garden.
After an injury she then turned to acting, dedicating herself to that craft with the same commitment she had given her ballet. 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 in regional theatre and performed in films including as Winston Churchill’s first love, Pamela Powden, in the Carl Foreman motion picture, “Young Winston,” “The Only Way” and “The Strauss Family.”
Her first 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.
Seymour was soon cast opposite Christopher Reeve in “Somewhere in Time,” a cult classic, favorite romantic film for many. 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,” with Michael Caine and “War and Remembrance,” with Sir John Gielgud and 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, and was 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.”
In early 2008, Seymour teamed with one of the biggest retailers of fine jewelry in the world to create a special jewelry collection called “Open Hearts by Jane Seymour”. Inspired by one of Seymour’s original paintings of two hearts connected and open at either end, the exclusive design symbolizes that love has no boundaries and flows unconditionally. The Open Heart design reminds us that if we keep our hearts open, love will always find its way in. It has become a universal symbol for giving and receiving love and to date has become one of the most successful lines of celebrity designed jewelry in the world exceeding over a billion dollars in sales worldwide.
Actively involved in numerous charitable causes, Jane is a member of the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet. Her work with the Red Cross included a trip to Africa that was captured 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. The film tells the story of Seymour and eight inner-city children from Los Angeles traveling with the Red Cross to Kenya to participate in the vaccination of 13 million children against measles which kills over one million youths a year. Seymour’s work with ChildHelp USA, a national organization dedicated to the research, treatment, and prevention of child abuse, as International Ambassador was honored with the organization’s “Woman of the World” award.
Furthering Seymour’s passion to give back and make a difference in the lives of others, she provided the inspiration for the creation of the Open Hearts Foundation in 2010. This inspiration is rooted in her mother’s philosophy of selfless giving even in the face of adversity. The Foundation empowers emerging and growing nonprofit organizations, whose origins and mission are consistent with this philosophy. This Open Hearts philosophy has become a movement through the Foundation’s work providing more than $1.5 million in grants to over sixty charities across the United States and engaging hundreds of volunteers around the world to help others and find their unique purpose. Seymour continues to serve on the Foundation’s board and remains one its largest benefactors.
The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams through higher education, selected and inducted Seymour into its membership. During the 2022 ceremony in Washington, D.C., Seymour joined 15 other exceptional business, civic and cultural leaders from across North America in receiving honors. For more than 70 years, the Horatio Alger Award has been annually bestowed upon esteemed individuals who have succeeded despite facing adversities, and who have remained committed to higher education and charitable efforts in their communities.
In 2009 Seymour’s Open Hearts, the first book in a series of four, was published. Open Hearts reflects life’s joys, heartaches, and inspirations and symbolizes that only when you can love yourself and keep your heart open are you able to give and receive love. This theme is celebrated in the book through a collection of poems, essays and quotes and illustrated with a selection of her art. Subsequent books in the series were released Among Angels in 2010, Open Hearts Family in 2012 and most recently The Wave in 2014. Seymour released her book, “Making Yourself at Home”, a style book featuring her home and lifestyle tips in 2007. In 2002, Jane Seymour penned an autobiographical book, “Remarkable Changes”, profiling her own and 20 personal stories of others who have experienced positive transformation in the face of life-changing crisis. In addition, Jane Seymour co-authored a series of exceedingly successful children’s books titled “This One and That One”, inspired by her 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”, “Jane Seymour’s Guide to Romantic Living” and “The Road Ahead.”
Jane Seymour Designs, a national lifestyle brand inspired by her homes, art and family-centered lifestyle has launched its very own ecommerce site www.janeseymour.com. Seymour’s passion for art and fashion intertwines beautifully in her exquisite JS Designs collection. Each piece, from scarves to pajamas, tops to dusters, radiates with her unique artistic vision. Inspired by her original artwork, every item tells a story, making them truly one-of-a-kind. With an enchanting touch, Seymour brings her limited-edition collections to life, ensuring a wearable masterpiece.
Seymour is a prominent spokesperson for Crépe Erase®, one of the leading Guthy Renker brands in the beauty space, this full-body anti-aging line is a head-to-toe skincare collection from Body Firm. With Seymour’s involvement, the dialogue about beautiful skin at any age has evolved and been embraced by woman across the nation. She has partnered with Wallaroo Hat Company for a signature line of SPF headwear and hats, many of which reference the popular television and film characters that Seymour has portrayed throughout her career such as the Elise and Quinn styles and the original Lady Jane hat.
Another of Seymour’s most successful brand associations was her near 15-year partnership with esteemed furniture designer Michael Amini and his team at AICO to create home furnishings collections inspired by Seymour’s personal Hollywood history, California Coastal lifestyle and British upbringing. The line was sold around the world and to date is attributed as one of the most successful collaborations for the brand. Whether it is products that range from jewelry to skincare or from silk florals, furniture or candles, business associations with Seymour achieve hundreds of millions of dollars in retail sales each year.
Seymour began painting over thirty years ago prompted by a period of personal challenge, her art became the expression of a very private healing process. She emerged from this experience as an accomplished, passionate painter. Today, Seymour sketches and paints at her Malibu studio, on movie sets and on her travels. Throughout her career as a fine artist, she has created an intimate world of delicate watercolors and colorful vibrant oil paintings and has accepted select private commissions. For one such commission, Seymour was asked to produce the first ever decorative credit card for Discover Card. The original painting for that design later was part of an exhibit at the Guggenheim with three additional original paintings by Seymour with the credit card painting auctioned off for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and raising $25,000. Another partnership was with Korbel Champagne when Seymour was asked to design a limited-edition champagne bottle. The series of collector’s bottles featured designs by other celebrated celebrity artists including fashion designer Nicole Miller, performers Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra and actress Whoopi Goldberg.
Her talents as an established fine artist have led 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, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. In 2023, Plein Air Magazine’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Seymour at their annual Expo in Denver, CO, in recognition of her lifetime dedication to the pursuit of beauty and excellence in painting.
The artist has exhibited her work at fine art galleries across North America for nearly twenty-five years and continues to reach new artistic levels by continually developing her technique, style, and subject matter. In recent years, Seymour and her art company, Coral Canyon Publishing, have partnered with Fotiou Frames, a luxury international moulding manufacturer, to launch the JS Moulding Line to offer a wide selection of beautiful and elegant moulding designs to quality framers nationwide to great success.
As a sculptor, Seymour launched a collection of fine art Open Heart bronze sculptures and introduced the editions to the fine art world; the Open Heart Icon and the Single Open Heart designs are currently available in three different patinas. Additional works of fine art bronze sculpture include a Portrait Head of a Girl, a Seated Nude, and a series of children’s sculptures of her twin boys, and their little girl playmate at the time, all in traditional patina. To further illustrate the artist’s and her family’s commitment to the Open Hearts philosophy, the Open Heart Icon Monumental fine art sculpture was created in 2012. The very first example of the seven-foot-tall bronze casting was installed in Seymour’s oceanside organic garden to commemorate her birthday in that year. Since then, Open Heart Icon Monumental sculptures have been installed in Akron, OH, Calgary, AB, New Orleans, LA, Bradenton, FL, Gibsonia, PA with Single Open Heart sculptures located in St. Cloud, MN, and Ft. Worth, TX, with an installation planned for 2024 Calgary, AB. With the creation of these monumental sculptures a dream has become a reality, and a solid foundation has been established for the realization of a unique vision of inspiring people to fill their hearts with love by helping others and reflected in a most tangible way. Seymour continues to raise much needed funds and gives through donations of her artwork to numerous local and national charities which help children in need, raising awareness for women’s heart health and various other important issues dear to her heart.
Seymour resides in Malibu, is mother to six adult children and a grandmother of six. As busy as Seymour is, she still finds time to make several appearances around the country each year as a motivational and public speaker. Topics for her speeches range from her Open Hearts Philosophy and health related topics to being an actress and producer as well as a devoted mother and grandmother.