Known as: Jane Seymour
Birth Name: Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg
Date of Birth: February 15, 1951
Birth Place: Hillingdon, UK
Height: 5' 4''
Nationality: British
Claim to fame: as Solitaire in Live and Let Die (1973)
Occupation: Actress, Producer
Jane Seymour was born on February 15 1951 in Hillingdon,
England as Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg. Her
parents are John Frankenberg and (Dutch) Mieke Frankenberg
- van Trigt. She has two younger sisters, Anne and Sally.
Jane began training ballet at the age of three. At
thirteen she made her professional debut
with the London Festival Ballet. Later she went to the
Arts Educational Schools In
London to train dance, music and theatre. She suffered
from knee injuries during her first
performance with the famous Russian Kirov Ballet, putting
an end to her ballet career.
'As a girl I was determined to become a dancer. The
trouble was that I'm the wrong build. I have a long
back and shorter legs, whereas ballerinas need the reverse.
(..) I injured my cartilage in jazz dance and I had
to give up ballet. It was only a matter of time
anyway, because of my build, but I was devastated. Fortunately,
going to the school I
did, I was able to do more acting classes. Looking back,
injuring my cartilage did me a big favour. It was probably
the best thing that ever happened to me because it led
to
becoming an actress and everything that has come with
it.' - Hello magazine July 15 2000
She changed her name in Jane Seymour because she thought
Frankenberg sounded too
much like Frankenstein, Frankfürter or Frankenburger.
She first tried 'Joyce Franks' but
that was said to be too common, then she wanted to try
her mother's maiden name,
but that was said to be unpronouncable, then her agent
came up with Jane Seymour and
it stayed that way.
Jane was determined to make it as an actress and went
to the US. Her breakthrough
came with her role as Solitaire in the James Bond movie
'Live and Let die'. Over the years she won an Emmy (for
Onassis) and two Golden Globes (for East of Eden and
Dr. Quinn) and she has been nominated several times.
Jane is involved in several charity organistations
like Unicef, City Hearts, Make-A-Wish
Foundation and Childhelp USA. She also paints and writes
children's books (This One
and That One) with her husband James Keach.
James Keach (1948) is her fourth husband. They married
May 15 1993. Her ex-husbands are: Michael Attenborough
('71-'73), Geoffrey 'Jeep' Planer ('77-'78) and David
Flynn ('81-'92).
Jane has four children: Katie Flynn (January 7 '82),
Sean Flynn (July '85) and the twins John (named after
her late father and her dear friend Johnny Cash) and
Kristopher (named after her dear friend Christopher
Reeve) Keach (November 30 1995). Her
stepchildren are Kalen Keach and Jennifer Flynn.
Jane resides in Malibu, California and in her 16th
century manor 'St. Catherine's Court'
near Bath, England.