See Jane Run

Jane Seymour is a veritable juggling act. Best known as Dr. Quinn, the award-winning actress is also an author, painter, philanthropist and mother of six.

By Lybi Ma, published on September 01, 2001 - last reviewed on May 03, 2006

Not many women can pull it off. Miss Tess, my third grade teacher, could. When she wore her orange dress, she also had the same shade shoes, not to mention an orange handbag and matching nail polish. On most women such color-coding would look foolish, but Miss Tess was always a vision of perfection.

I hadn't seen another woman capable of pulling off that feat until I met Jane Seymour. Like Miss Tess, the actress wore a lavender dress with lavender shoes, handbag and eye shadow, and her hair was adorned with silk lavender flowers. She was a striking vision.

Seymour was attending an art opening in the Garden State of New Jersey, not as a guest but as the artist. The gallery was featuring her paintings—pastel flowers, country scenes in vibrant greens, her own children painted in cherubic peach. A few canvases even matched her lavender accoutrements. Despite her regal bearing, she politely autographed lithographs as foot traffic moved through the gallery at a steady clip. (Yes, the patrons were buying.)

Becoming a noted painter is just one accomplishment for Jane Seymour. The woman best known as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, is also an author, philanthropist and mother of six, including a set of twins she delivered at age 45. Through it all, Seymour has discovered that flexibility, determination and a willingness to tackle one's fears head-on are the keys to overcoming adversity and juggling a life busy enough for three women.

A Natural Beauty

We take a break from the gallery and walk into a cosmetics shop around the corner. "I need to buy an eyelash curler," Seymour says. At age 50, she is stunning. Her trademark mane swishes in time with her sauntering step, and when you look into her eyes you look twice because one is green and the other is brown.

It was Seymour's great beauty that led to fame. Born in Hillingdon, England, she took on a few supporting roles in British movies before playing a "Bond girl" in the 1973 movie Live and Let Die. She starred in other film and TV productions, from the cult classic Somewhere in Time to the miniseries War and Remembrance. Bedecked with Golden Globes and Emmys, Seymour is most recently noted for her work in Dr. Quinn. The long-running TV series chronicled the life of Michaela Quinn, a refined doctor from Boston who sets up a practice in the Western frontier.

At the cash register, Seymour chats in a friendly manner with the clerk about the merits of a certain brand of shampoo. She seems unaware of the commotion around her. People turn heads and whisper. One couple steps forward. "Hi Jane," the stranger says. "Do you remember us? We bought a painting from you in California." Another woman stops to say, "You're a lot tinier than I thought."

All in Stride

Seymour takes the attention—and everything else—in stride. When Seymour married her third husband, David Flynn, his ex-wife, Linda, was upset at the idea that Seymour would be taking care of Linda's child. Seymour assured Linda that when Seymour had her own child, she would send the baby straight to Linda for visits. As promised, after Seymour gave birth to her first child, Katie, she delivered the 3-month-old with a bottle in a bassinet to David's ex. That philosophy about families still guides her.

Although Seymour and Flynn have since divorced, she knows that he remains an important part of her family. "In the end, I know David has to be happy for the children to be happy." This isn't empty talk. At their son's soccer games, Flynn and Seymour's current husband, director James Keach, sit on either side of her, each man holding a twin in his lap. "We have a blended family," she quips.

Blended for sure. One needs a detailed diagram to figure out the family. Seymour has four children and two stepchildren, ranging in age from 5 to 23. When she fills out forms, she writes actress as her occupation, but she says, "It should really say mother. It's the biggest job I have." Every morning Seymour jots down which child must be where, at what time and what she needs to do to make it all happen. Music practice. Soccer clinic. Horse-riding lessons. The brown-bag lunch for John's field trip. The birthday present for Kris' friend who is turning 5.

Her oldest daughter was in high school when Seymour decided she wanted to have another child. "I really wanted to give James a baby," she says. After two miscarriages, she had to endure infertility treatments that entailed injections on her backside. At banquets and parties, Seymour and Keach had to excuse themselves to find a quiet corner so he could administer the shots. "James would lift up my skirt and give me a jag. We felt like we were doing something illegal."

The treatment resulted in twins, a risky proposition for a 45-year-old. Her pregnancy was difficult. She suffered pre-eclampsia, a condition in which her blood pressure skyrocketed and her body wanted to shut down. "Jane almost died," recalls friend and costume designer Cheri Ingle.

The twin boys, John and Kris, were six weeks premature. "I remember they were monitored for months," Ingle says. "There were times when the alarm went off and one of them stopped breathing. It was a nightmare,"

An author of numerous children's books, Seymour's more recent effort is instead written for parents. Two at a Time, penned with the help of her doctor, records her experience of having twins and the lessons she has learned.

A Painter's Palette