See Jane Run

Not many women can pull it off. My third grade teacher, could. Her dress, shoes, handbag and nail polish were all shouted pastel orange. Such color-coding usually looks foolish, but she was always a vision of perfection. I hadn't seen another woman capable of pulling off that feat until I met Jane Seymour. The actress wore a lavender dress with matching shoes, handbag and eye shadow, even her hair was adorned with silk lavender flowers. It worked.

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

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