Jane Seymour (actress) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jane Seymour OBE
Seymour in 2019
Born	Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg (1951-02-15) 15 February 1951 (age 74) Uxbridge, Middlesex, England
Occupation	Actress author
Years active	1968–present
Spouse(s)	Michael Attenborough ​ ​ (m. 1971; div. 1973)​ Geoffrey Planer ​ ​ (m. 1977; div. 1978)​ David Flynn ​ ​ (m. 1981; div. 1992)​ James Keach ​ ​ (m. 1993; div. 2015)​
Children	4
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Seymour (Constanze Mozart) alongside Ian McKellen (Antonio Salieri) in Amadeus, around 1981

Jane Seymour is a famous British actress. She was born Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg on February 15, 1951. She first appeared in a movie as a teenager in 1969.

Jane Seymour quickly became well-known for her roles. She played a main character in the TV show The Onedin Line (1972–1973). She also starred as Solitaire, a special character, in the James Bond movie Live and Let Die (1973).

She won her first Golden Globe Award in 1982 for her role in the TV series East of Eden. She also won an Emmy Award for playing Maria Callas in Onassis: The Richest Man in the World (1988).

In 1993, Seymour started playing Dr. Michaela Quinn in the TV series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. This medical drama was set in the Wild West. Her work on this show earned her another Golden Globe Award.

Jane Seymour has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2000, she was given the title Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her acting and entertainment work.

Besides acting, Jane Seymour has done many other things. She started a nonprofit group called the Open Hearts Foundation. She has also written several children's books and self-help books. She even designs jewelry, scarves, and other items under her own brand, Jane Seymour Designs.

Early Life and Family

Jane Seymour was born Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg in Uxbridge, England, on February 15, 1951. Her mother, Mieke van Tricht, was a nurse. Her father, Benjamin John Frankenberg, was a well-known doctor who specialized in women's health.

Her father was Jewish, and his family came from Poland. Her mother was Dutch and a Protestant. During World War II, her mother was a prisoner of war in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Jane learned Dutch from her mother and other survivors from the prison camp.

Jane's parents encouraged her to learn languages. She lived with family friends in Geneva to practice, and she can speak French very well.

Jane Seymour's grandfather escaped difficult times in Poland and came to live in London. He became a hairdresser and started his own business. Her father became a doctor and served in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

Jane went to the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in England. She chose the stage name Jane Seymour after the English queen Jane Seymour. One interesting thing about her is that her eyes are different colors: her right eye is brown, and her left eye is green. This is called heterochromia.

Acting Career Highlights

Jane Seymour's acting career began in 1969. She first appeared in the film Oh! What a Lovely War. In 1970, she had a main role in the war drama The Only Way, playing a Jewish woman hiding from the Nazis.

In 1973, she became internationally famous as Solitaire in the James Bond movie Live and Let Die. She was ranked among the top Bond girls. She also played Princess Farah in the fantasy film Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977).

Stage and Film Roles

In 1980, Jane Seymour performed on stage in the play Amadeus. She played Constanze, with Ian McKellen and Tim Curry. The play was very successful on Broadway.

Also in 1980, she starred in the romantic movie Somewhere in Time. She played a young actress named Elise McKenna. This role was different from her earlier work and led to a friendship with her co-star, Christopher Reeve.

In 1981, she appeared in the TV film East of Eden, based on the book by John Steinbeck. Her role as Cathy Ames won her a Golden Globe. In 1982, she starred in The Scarlet Pimpernel with Anthony Andrews and Ian McKellen.

In 1988, Seymour played Natalie Henry in the TV series War and Remembrance. She played an American Jewish woman stuck in Europe during World War II. That same year, she won an Emmy Award for playing Maria Callas in the TV movie Onassis: The Richest Man in the World.

In 1989, she played the French queen Marie Antoinette in the TV film La Révolution française. Her own children, Katherine and Sean, played the queen's children in the movie.

Seymour at the Emmy Awards in 1994

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and Beyond

In the 1990s, Jane Seymour became very popular for her role as Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn in the TV series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993–2001). This role earned her a second Golden Globe Award. While working on this show, she met her fourth husband, actor and director James Keach.

In the 2000s, Seymour continued to work mostly in television. She made guest appearances in shows like Smallville and How I Met Your Mother. In 2005, she returned to the big screen in the comedy Wedding Crashers.

She also competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2007, finishing in sixth place. She has appeared in many Hallmark Channel films, such as Dear Prudence (2008) and Love, Wedding, Marriage (2011).

More recently, in 2020, Jane starred in Ruby's Choice, an Australian film about a woman with early dementia. She won an Australian Screen Industry Network Award for best actress for this role. In 2022, she began playing the main character in the TV series Harry Wild. She also appeared in the Netflix movie Irish Wish in 2024.

Personal Life

Jane Seymour at the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010

Jane Seymour has been married four times. Her first marriage was to Michael Attenborough. She was then briefly married to Geoffrey Planer.

In 1981, she married David Flynn. They had two children: Katherine (born 1982) and Sean (born 1985). They divorced in 1992.

The next year, Seymour married actor James Keach. They had twin sons, John Stacy and Kristopher Steven, born in 1995. Their names honor family friends Johnny Cash and Christopher Reeve, and James's brother, actor Stacy Keach. They divorced in 2015.

In February 2005, Jane Seymour became a citizen of the United States.

She is also a special helper for Childhelp, a group that helps children who have been abused or neglected. She has supported their art contests to raise money for the cause. Since 2023, she has been in a relationship with musician John Zambetti.

Writing and Design Career

In the 1980s, Jane Seymour started writing books. She has written self-help and inspiring books like Jane Seymour's Guide to Romantic Living (1986) and Among Angels (2010). She also wrote children's books with her former husband, James Keach.

In 1985, she took part in Fashion Aid, a special fashion show to raise money for people affected by a famine in Ethiopia. She wore a wedding dress designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, who also designed Princess Diana's wedding gown.

In 2008, Jane Seymour became the new face of the fashion brand CC. That same year, she designed the "Open Heart Collection" for Kay Jewelers. She also wrote books called Open Hearts: If Your Heart Is Open, Love Will Always Find Its Way In and Open Hearts Family. She often wears a necklace from this collection to show its message.

In 2016, a rare blue diamond was named "The Jane Seymour" in her honor.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

Honours

• 1999: Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• 2000: Appointed an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for her services to acting and entertainment.
• 2010: Awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

See also

In Spanish: Jane Seymour (actriz) para niños