Former Bond Girl Jane Seymour recalls ‘embarrassing speech impediment’
Film legend Jane Seymour never imagined she would become a famous Hollywood actor because she grew up with an “embarrassing speech impediment”. The former James Bond girl shares her secret to staying youthful ahead of her 69th birthday.
Confidential
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Legendary actor Jane Seymour has revealed she never imagined she would get into acting because she grew up with a speech impediment.
The 70s Bond Girl told Confidential that she was “embarrassed” by the tiny flaw but worked hard to overcome it.
“No, I absolutely didn’t plan on acting. I was going to be the next prima ballerina except I was never given the body that was required for ballet,” she said.
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“I was born with flat feet and I had a speech impediment so tell me that I would ever dance with the biggest ballet company in the world and that I would ever become an actor that played not only another dialect but also other languages, I would’ve absolutely said it was impossible.
“I pronounced my Rs as Ws and had to go to school earlier than everybody else and roll my Rs for half an hour until I got it right. I always tell people that the thing that is your impediment is your gift. Sometimes your challenge does become your opportunity.”
The London-born star has starred in countless films and TV shows over the years including Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and has won two Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy.
She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Seymour turns 69 this week and she said the secret to her youthful physique is a Mediterranean diet.
“I try to do exercise, a fast walk on the beach. I meditate, I happen to enjoy healthy and organic food which I grow in my back garden,” she said.
“I tend to mostly eat fish and vegetables although occasionally I’ll have a little red meat, but I prefer to eat a very clean Mediterranean diet. I do pilates and gyrotonics to stay flexible and toned. I’m a big believer in exfoliating dead skin and using natural oils. I don’t do lasers or peels.”
The Wedding Crashers star said while there is immense pressure in Hollywood to look your best, she refuses to go under the knife.
“Obviously there’s the pressure to look as good as you can but no, I’m playing women of my age group sometimes maybe up to 80 although I can get away with playing 40 with nice lighting. I wear a lot of wigs so I can play a lot of different age groups,” she said.
“I think why I’m being cast a lot is because I look like me, I haven’t done any facial surgeries or Botox or fillers so I’m sort of what you look like when you age normally and have some wear and tear.”
Seymour, who is also renowned for her water colour paintings, recently donated two of her beautiful paintings to TVSN’s Bushfire Appeal Raffle.
She is heading Down Under in coming months to film her upcoming moving Ruby’s Choice and also promote her new collection of jewellery, Water Colours by Jane Seymour, with TVSN.
She said each design features a tiny gold feather, which has a symbolic meaning.
“My mother was a really inspirational person to not just me but a lot of people and she survived WWII in Indonesia and in Japanese camps for years,” she said.
“When she passed, she had a stroke and had been bed ridden for seven months and the family were next to her every single day – and at one point right at the end my sisters went out to get coffee and when they came back where they always sat there was one single white feather and she’d passed.
“There were no feathers or birds of anything around. Now, any time there’s a major life event in my life … out of the blue in places where you don’t find feathers will be a single white feather. We think of the feather as our reconnection with her on some spiritual level.”
Originally published as Former Bond Girl Jane Seymour recalls ‘embarrassing speech impediment’