Jane Seymour has a plethora of accolades under her belt: the Hollywood star not only has an OBE, but also an Emmy, two Golden Globe Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And now, at the age of 67, she’s officially become the oldest woman to pose for Playboy. In other words: she’s hot. We sat down with Seymour to discuss the concept of aging gracefully and what she does to retain her youthful looks.
Do people often ask if you’ve discovered the fountain of youth?
Many of my famous friends of mine will call me up or text me and say ‘Why is your skin looking so good? What are you doing? You’re not really using that stuff [Crepe Erase] are you?’ And I say, ‘Yes I am!’ and then they go and buy it! I do use it all the time!
Do you think a younger mindset has anything to do with looking young?
I think it’s more about being comfortable in your own skin. Feeling good about yourself. And I think that comes from not thinking about yourself, but thinking about other people and seeing what you can do to help other people. I think when you get out of your own pity party and into ‘what can I do to randomly help somebody,’ I think that makes you glow from within.
I’ve read that you haven’t had plastic surgery. What products do you use to feel younger?
I just try to keep the best skin I can and to be as healthy as I can. I don’t have time to do endless treatments. I’m a do-it-yourself type person, which is why I feel good about Crepe Erase. I tried it and I had immediate results. I won’t do anything unless it’s authentic, and I won’t do anything unless I use it every single day. I loved it off the bat, and I tested it on my new baby granddaughter, and slathered it all over her, and she did just great!
Living in the Botox and plastic surgery capital of the world, how have you avoided it?
Some magazines keep saying I’ve never done anything. To set the record straight, when I was 40, and I’d gone through a horrible divorce, I had breast implants. I did it because I breast fed my babies and there was nothing left. I was working as an actress, and though I was against it, it seemed the right thing to do. My plastic surgeon said to me, “You’re making a terrible mistake. We don’t make [implants] that small.” And I said, “I don’t want anything other than what I was born with, I just want what I was. I also tried Botox once and I didn’t like it at all. The real problem was, just as an actress, I couldn’t use my facial muscles. I’ve not done that since.
What was your reaction to being asked to pose for “Playboy” at 67, and how do you feel about becoming the oldest woman to be photographed by the “Playboy” staff?
When they asked me at 67 to do it, first I went, “No, no. That’s crazy.” And they said, “We don’t want you to be naked.” So I thought, this is actually empowering. They shot it at my house, I was thrilled with the pictures, and the most amazing thing happened—it got over a billion impressions, whatever that means, globally in one day. I thought it was very beautiful, and I hope it makes people realize that age is just a number. I think it was more fun this time. It was exciting because I feel like a sensual woman. I am a sensual woman. I’m in a relationship. I feel more comfortable in my own skin now than I did when I was younger. I was more worried about it then. Now, I’m me.
How do you feel beautiful and sexy on a daily basis? Do you have a mantra?
I’m really into the authenticity of my message. I’m already 67, what am I trying to pretend I’m 30? No, I’m not. I’ve been 30 and that was great! I don’t want to have to spend forever obsessing over my looks. I think less is more sometimes. If you maintain and take your makeup off and put a cream on at night and make sure your eyes are completely clean, and then you sleep, drink a ton of water, exercise – healthy habits – some wine, not a bottle, I don’t smoke. There’s a lot of things people do to themselves that are very obvious things that age you. I’m an actress. I need to have my face be able to move. That’s my job. I need to be authentic. My brand in life is to be authentic. I’m not against Botox and fillers—I think they’re great if you want to do that—but I think part of the reason I’m still working all the time at 67 is because I still look like me. It’s still my face. I’m sort of ‘gently aging.’ It’s all about good skin, that’s the key to everything. I’m a bit of an artist, so I can ‘paint out’ what I don’t like with some nifty use of concealer or some contouring. Plus, I sort of like telling the world, ‘You don’t have to have a ton of money to look good.
Do you think being beautiful has hurt/helped your career?
There’s lots of people who use their beauty, their sexuality, for whatever purpose. I’m not a prude or anything. It just wasn’t my choice.
You recently joined the #MeToo movement. Was that your only negative experience in the industry?
It hasn’t happened to me since because I don’t think I give off a vibe of being unaware. I’m not as green as I was in those days. You know, after that, if that kind of thing would happen, I would just get out of the way. I would just go, ‘Thank you but no thank you.’ Or I’d say, ‘Gosh, I’m married, [but] how flattering.’
How would you describe yourself?
Authentic.
Has there ever been a time that you didn’t feel confident? How did you pull yourself out of it?
If I have any confidence, I think it comes from gratitude and for being alive and being as healthy as I am at the moment. I had a near death experience a number of years ago and I was resuscitated and I remember clearly that when you die A) it doesn’t hurt and you have no stress and B) that you take two things with you when you die – the love you shared and the difference you’ve made. So if you have a purpose in life, that feeds your soul – and if your soul is fed and if you’re open hearted, then you can give and receive love. If you close your heart, no amount of knocking will open that door, so just get out of your own obsessive party.
What is the greatest lesson you could have taught your younger self?
When I was young, I had been bullied a lot. I didn’t understand jealousy. I always wanted to be part of the team, but I was never allowed to be. Abandonment issues, if you want to get psychiatric, and guess what happens to people who fear abandonment? They get abandoned. For my marriages, maybe I wasn’t a good picker, or maybe after a while relationships change or maybe celebrity is very hard for other people to stand next to. I try to be as equal with anyone I am with, and I am really lucky to have someone who isn’t jealous of me, who is enthusiastic about what I’m doing, who is very successful in his own way. If I had known I could have had that kind of relationship, I would have had it earlier.
What to you is the greatest luxury in life?
I think having children is the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. Having grandchildren is even more extraordinary.
