Jane Seymour had “no money” when she was offered the role of Michaela Quinn on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
The actress signed onto the show immediately, but didn’t have high hopes
In 1995, Seymour received the Golden Globe for her work as Dr. Quinn.
Jane Seymour’s career took an unexpectedly happy turn when she faced her toughest financial hardship.
In the early ‘90s, the Wedding Crashers actress was in the midst of a divorce from her third husband, David Flynn, after 11 years of marriage. During that time, the bank had taken away her house, and she had “no money.”
“I had nothing,” she told Property Brothers stars Drew and Jonathan Scott on Celebrity IOU, which airs on HGTV.
Desperate to make money and stay afloat, Seymour, 74, called her agent, saying she’d “do anything.”
“Anything turned up later on that day as a script called Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, which I was guaranteed would never be a series,” she said. “So, I signed for five years [and] immediately started the following morning.”
Set in the mid-1800s, the western drama focused on Michaela Quinn, a wealthy female doctor who establishes her practice in Colorado Springs, Colo. The show often dealt with themes like sexism, racism and bigotry.
The series, which aired on CBS, premiered in 1993 and concluded in 1998. It also produced two TV movies. In 1995, Seymour received the Golden Globe for best actress in a TV drama for her role as Dr. Quinn.
“I did it thinking that I was just going to do one episode, and it turned into seven years and is still playing in 98 countries,” the mother of six told the Scott brothers. “That was unexpected.”
Seymour appeared in 149 episodes of the series. The East of Eden actress even joked that her role in the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die, which she got when she was 22 years old, helped her prepare for Dr. Quinn.
“I was Roger Moore’s first Bond girl, and they were looking for someone to play the virgin psychic, Solitaire,” she said. “I took the duty very seriously. I was still playing a virgin when I was 43 on Dr. Quinn. Oh yeah. I have got that part down.”
In addition to the Golden Globe, Seymour was nominated for two Emmy Awards for her work on the beloved ’90s medical drama — once in 1994 and once in 1998 — for outstanding lead actress in a drama series.
The show itself received 19 Emmy nominations, ultimately taking home four awards during its six-season run.
