Playing Prudence: Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour’s long acting career
began in 1969, when she played
a small role in Richard Attenborough’s
film version of Oh! What
A Lovely War.

Since then, she
has appeared in many film
and TV productions, including
playing Bond girl Solitaire
in Live And Let Die, starring
in the US TV production Dr
Quinn Medicine Woman,
executive producing several
film and TV projects, and winning
two Golden Globe awards
as best actress.

Now, Seymour is back in front of
the cameras, starring as a TV host turned
detective in the ITV Global
Entertainment television movie, Dear
Prudence.

She has made her first ever
visit to MIPCOM to create international
awareness of the production,
which is made with Granada America
for Hallmark Channel.

Seymour plays the glamorous advice
guru Prudence McIntyre who, after the
son of friends is found dead, becomes a
crime-solving agony aunt.

“It has been a
challenging role,” she said. “Prudence is
quite a goofy character, but also very intelligent
and with a great sense of humour. There are
elements of Miss Marple about her and I think viewers
who love to watch crime-solving shows will grow
to love her character.”

Dear Prudence was first seen in the US on the Hallmark
Channel, where it was a big hit with viewers, despite facing
tough competition.

“It couldn’t have gone out in a worse
slot,” Seymour said. “It was competing with the closing ceremony
for the Olympics. However, there were great viewing
figures and it has now been shown five times, building a big
following for Prudence.”

Seymour currently has three independent movies in preproduction.

So which medium does she prefer —
cinema or television?

“I like working with good
material, it’s as simple as that,” she said. “That’s what attracted me to Dear Prudence.
It’s strongly scripted and I think
she is going to endear herself to
viewers all around the world.”

This article and more in the MIPCOM daily News, online soon!