Categories: Movies

Little Known Facts About Jane Seymour

Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg (later known as “Jane Seymour”) was born on February 15, 1951 in Hayes, London, England. Her father, John, was an English Jewish obstetrician. Her mother, Mieke, was a Japanese prison camp survivor from World War II. Younger sisters Sally and Anne rounded out the family. Having flat feet didn’t discourage the girl’s dreams of being a prima ballerina. She started dance training at the age of five. Unfortunately, by the time she was sixteen, the cartilage in her knees was damaged so badly she had to quit dancing. Read this informative article and find out some little known facts about Jane Seymour that are sure to bedazzle you!

Acting Career
Despite having flat feet and a speech impediment, Joyce Frankenberg changed her name to “Jane Seymour” when she was seventeen and took up acting. Her first movie was Oh! What a Lovely War in 1969. After that came parts in such works as The Only Way (1970); the TV series The Onedin Line from 1972 – 73; Young Winston (1972); James Bond movie Live and Let Die (1973); Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977); Battlestar Galactica (1978); Somewhere in Time (1980); East of Eden (1981); Lassiter (1984); War and Remembrance (1988); Wedding Crashers (2005) and Modern Men (2006).

Jane Seymour is best known for her part as Michaela Quinn “Dr. Mike” in the CBS series, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. The show ran from 1993 to 1998.

A little known fact about Jane Seymour is that, since her most memorable roles have been in mini series, she’s been dubbed, “Queen of the Miniseries.”

Family Life
After Oh! What a Lovely War, directed by Richard Attenborough, Jane Seymour married his son Michael in 1971. The union only lasted two years. She then was briefly married to businessman Geoffrey Planer from 1977-1978. In 1981, Seymour married producer David Flynn. The couple had Katherine, born in 1981, and Sean, born in 1986. She and Flynn divorced in 1992.

Seymour’s fourth husband is director James Keach. The couple married in 1993. They have twins John Stacy Keach and Kristopher Steven Keach, born in 1995. A little known fact about Jane Seymour is that she named her sons after her friends Johnny Cash and Christopher Reeve.

The five-foot-four-inch petite actress also has a stepson, Kalen Keach, and a stepdaughter, Jenny Flynn.

Another little known fact about Jane Seymour is that she and husband James Keach own a 14th-century manor house outside Bath, England. It’s called “St. Catherine’s Court.”

Other Ambitions
Besides acting, Seymour loves to paint and write. A little known fact about Jane Seymour is that her debut book, Jane Seymour’s Guide to Romantic Living, was published in 1986 by Macmillan Publishing Company. She has also written children’s books.

In 2003, Jane Seymour hooked up with Saks Fifth Avenue. Her line of women’s and children’s clothing, as well as household products, can be bought there exclusively.

Seymour is the International Ambassador for Childhelp USA. She is also the Official Spokesperson for UNICEF.

Dancing With the Stars
Jane Seymour started out as a contestant in the fifth season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. She missed the second week’s results show because she had to return to England. Her mother Mieke Frankenberg passed away on Monday, October 2, 2007 from complications due to a stroke. She was 92 years old. (Seymour’s father John passed away in 1990.)

A little known fact about Jane Seymour is that she is the oldest female contestant on Dancing With the Stars, thus far.

Besides having bad knees, Seymour had emergency surgery in 2001 to fix a herniated disk. So she has to deal with a bad back as well, as she dances.

Natural Beauty
A little known fact about Jane Seymour is that her long, gorgeous hair grows about three quarters of an inch to an inch every month. For this reason, she has the ends trimmed every few weeks.

Part of Seymour’s natural beauty is the fact she has two different colored eyes. Her right eye is green, while her left eye is brown.