And it doesn't stop at acting and writing. Seymour began to paint as a therapeutic release from the stresses
of an often difficult life. "After my divorce [from Flynn], painting took
me out of panic mode and into a serene, calm place. I could absolutely
lose myself."
The breakup came at age 40, just in time for her to ask, "Am I
getting old? Will anybody ever like me?" Coming from Jane Seymour, those
are surprising words. But she also wondered, "What was it about me that
wasn't enough?" After a period of doubt and reassessment, she realized
she was good enough for her and that was all that really mattered.
"Most people I know would have folded a long time ago," says friend
Steve Bickel, a producer who worked with Seymour on Somewhere in Time.
Bickel believes her mettle has a lot to do with her mother. "Jane's
mother was in a prison camp in Indonesia during the war; I think that's
where she gets her survivor's mentality."
Sister Sally Frankenberg agrees that their mother's influence has
had a lasting effect on Seymour. "We heard stories about Mummy being in
the jungle. A few years ago, Jane took her back. It really moved Jane.
Even in dire hardship, Mummy had always found good things."
The divorce was a bitter parting that cost Seymour financially as
well as emotionally. When her agent got wind of her situation, he called
and said, "Jane, your lawyer and accountant called and told me you need
to work yesterday." The agent had already talked to all the networks and
announced, "Jane Seymour is willing to do a series. Do you have
anything?" That evening she read the pilot for Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman,
and the next day she was on the set.
Some say the part was written for her. "Dr. Quinn echoed her life,"
Ingle says. "Quinn was a woman in a man's world." Bickel agrees that the
show was tailor-made for her. "Jane has a real sensitivity toward helping
others. She's been involved in many charities. It was a perfect role for
her."
Helping Hand
Back at the gallery, a woman waits with her teenage daughter. The
girl sits in a wheelchair, paralyzed. Seymour quietly chats with the
mother. Apparently, such a visit is not unusual; individuals often
approach Seymour to solicit her help. She has donated much of her time
and artwork to such charities as ChildHelp USA, Unicef and Make-A-Wish.
The work, however, is time-consuming. "I'd like to help everybody, but I
can't."
In downtown Los Angeles, Seymour runs City Hearts, a program for
children at risk. "By the time they're 10 years old, if they're not
assigned to a gang, they're dead," she says. "The way to reach these kids
is to get them interested in the creative arts or sports and help them
discover their passion." More important, though, is to instill
confidence, she adds. And if you fail, try again. "Jane has failed, but
she picks up and moves on," says Ingle. "She doesn't run from difficult
or scary situations. She faces her fears."
Fears? From a woman who has taken on so much?
"I hate snakes," Seymour shudders. Even with a small son who is
fascinated with them, she is decidedly standoffish. Still, she wants to
set the right example for her children. If she can't get over her fears,
how will they? So she recently allowed someone to drape his pet python
around her neck. "There I was, face to face with a big snake, getting
over my fears."
If the past is any guide, it's just a matter of time before she
becomes an expert on reptiles.
Somewhere in Time...
1951 Born Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg
1964 London Festival Ballet debut. Knee injuries prevent career in
dance
1968 Changes name to Jane Seymour
1969 Film debut as chorus girl in Oh! What A Lovely War
1973 First major role in a film: James Bond flick Live and Let
Die
1977 Receives first Emmy nomination for TV movie Captains and the
Kings
1980 Lead role in feature film Somewhere in Time
1980s Stars in numerous TV miniseries, informally given title Queen
of the Miniseries
1981 Receives Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for film East of
Eden
1986 Writes book Jane Seymour's Guide to Romantic Living
1988 Stars in miniseries War and Remembrance, Part I
1988 Receives Emmy for TV movie Onassis: The Richest Man in the
World
1989 Plays in War and Remembrance, Part II
1992 Produces Sunstroke, and meets current husband James Keach, the
movie's director
1993 Marries Keach
1993-98 Plays Dr. Michaela Quinn during five-year run of acclaimed
television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
1994 Hosts CBS special, Break the Silence: Kids Against Child
Abuse
1995 Gives birth to twins, Kristopher and John
1995-98 Appears as guest star on The Nanny, Murphy Brown and Dharma
and Greg
1996 Receives Golden Globe and Genii for Dr. Quinn
1998 Writes two children's books in the series This One & That
One
1998 Receives Emmy nomination for Dr. Quinn, and Excellence in
Media Lifetime Achievement Award
1999 Receives star No. 2131 on Hollywood Walk of Fame
2001 Writes Two at a Time: Having Twins, The Journey Through
Pregnancy and Birth
Additional reporting by Hollis Kline
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