Jane Seymour says savage Oscars review comparing hair to ‘mildewed mattress stuffing’ haunts her decades later

For one night in Hollywood, Jane Seymour left some viewers shaken.

The former Bond girl and “Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman” star recently told Women’s World how she was going for a glam moment at the Oscars in 1981, but it backfired.

“I’ve always had long hair, and it used to be so long I could sit on it, but I can’t believe that I ever frizzed my hair out!” the star told the outlet.

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Jane Seymour is seen here with Richard Pryor at the 53rd Academy Awards on March 31, 1981. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

“…My hairdresser decided to do the big hair, and a critic said that I looked like ‘50 pounds of mildewed mattress stuffing,’” the 75-year-old actress recalled. “I’ve never forgotten that.”

But not everyone was shaking their heads. Seymour said that after the Oscars, Ralph Lauren contacted her team and asked who did her hair.

From left: Comedian Richard Pryor, film editor Thelma Schoonmaker and actress Jane Seymour attend the 53rd Annual Academy Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on March 31, 1981. Schoonmaker won the best film editing award for “Raging Bull.” (UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

“I didn’t want to throw my hairdresser under the bus, so at first I said I did it myself, but they were actually hoping they could copy the look for their new fashion show,” she said. “I gave them my hairdresser’s contact, and that started a trend, sadly.”

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Seymour may not be reviving big ’80s hair anytime soon, but she’s not afraid of a throwback.

“I like to shop in my own closet,” she shared. “I was going to toss all my clothes with big shoulder pads, but I ended up keeping them because everything comes back. I always say not to throw anything away.”

“I’ve recently been on the red carpet wearing things that I first wore 20 or 30 years ago, and they’re all back in style now,” Seymour shared. “I look at what’s in style and see how I can put a look together with clothes I already have. It’s like my sport.”

Jane Seymour and her then-husband David Flynn are seen attending the 53rd Annual Academy Awards Governor’s Ball at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images)

Seymour previously told Fox News Digital she has maintained the same size since age 17.

“I am now the size I was when I was 17 and a ballet dancer,” she said.

Jane Seymour plays the clairvoyant Solitaire alongside Roger Moore as James Bond in the 1973 film “Live and Let Die,” directed by Guy Hamilton. (Keystone/Getty Images)

“I try to stay around the same weight, but without going crazy about it. I have gotten bigger [over the years], but I never gained more than 10 pounds. I was smaller when I was in [1988’s] ‘War and Remembrance’ and when I was playing Wallis Simpson, where I had to be crazy thin, which is not a healthy weight for me. It makes my immune system weak.”

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Jane Seymour has maintained the same size for decades. (Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images)

The star noted she’s always been mindful of maintaining healthy habits over the years.

“I almost never have breakfast,” said Seymour. “I will have liquids and my vitamins. I’ve got this vitamin combination that has collagen. I’ll have that in the morning and either black tea, coffee or water. And then at lunchtime, I’ll have a fabulous meal, whatever I want, pretty much. I tend to like salmon, shrimp and grilled vegetables. And I love Italian food. I might have a little eggplant Parmesan; it’s a favorite of mine. Maybe some lean chicken.”

Seymour noted that the one thing she “almost never” eats is steak, but she does make exceptions.

Actress Jane Seymour appears on the set of “Live And Let Die.” (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis)

“Once in a while, I’ll have a little bit of filet steak, maybe a couple of slices. I’m not against it. But I feel better usually when eating fish and lots of vegetables. I grow a lot of my food in my garden, a lot of it in pots, actually. It keeps the bugs out. I have lettuce, arugula, artichokes, avocados, blueberries and strawberries. Also, lots of different types of kale. I love eating fresh vegetables. When I grill my vegetables, I add a little bit of olive oil and sometimes a sprinkle of salt.”

Jane Seymour stands on the deck of her home overlooking the Pacific Ocean with items picked from her garden in Malibu, California. (Paul Harris/Getty Images)

Like anyone else, Seymour has her guilty pleasures. She loves anything that’s “crunchy and salty.” To satisfy her cravings, she’ll eat “a crispy sweet potato.”

“I feel like I’m eating a bag of chips, but it’s actually sweet potato,” said Seymour. “I also like to take raw pumpkin seeds, put a little bit of Tamari Lite [gluten-free soy sauce that has less sodium], put them in a non-stick pan, and toast them. I like to toss them around in the pan until they swell and pop. Pistachio nuts are also a favorite go-to snack. So mostly, I make sure to eat my nutrients and vitamins in my food if I can.”

Jane Seymour focuses on a rigorous skincare and nutritional routine to maintain the “vehicle” she was given, she said. (Emma Mcintyre/Getty Images)

The actress also revealed that it’s important for her to stay active daily. However, she listens to her body about what it needs each day.

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Jane Seymour attends the Filming Italy 2025 photocall at Forte Village Resort in Santa Margherita di Pula, Italy, on June 19, 2025. (Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images)

“I work with a lady… it’s almost like physiotherapy, but it’s a workout. I do Gyrotonics and some Pilates — a lot of floor work, believe it or not, even though I’m on a bench. But everything I do, anyone else can do at home, in a hotel room, their living room, their garden — anywhere where you can put a yoga mat down. I do Pilates legwork, which is like doing some of my ballet. I can use my own weight or a ballet bar.”

“I’m also a believer in light weights,” she shared. “I’ll have an eight-pound or a five-pound weight in each hand. I’ll do arm work while I’m doing my legs. And the beauty of Pilates, Gyrotonics or even ballet is that it’s all about being able to do it properly. It’s not something where you rush in and jump around and can easily get injured.”

Jane Seymour told Fox News Digital she “almost never” eats steak. (Jason Mendez/Getty Images for AMC Networks/Acorn TV)

“I’m very careful about doing the right technique,” she said. “If I can’t do too much, if I can’t stretch too much that day, that’s fine. I just do as much as my body is comfortable doing because I don’t want to injure myself. I had back surgery a long time ago. That’s a nemesis for me. So I listen to my body.”

Jane Seymour told Fox News Digital it’s important to keep moving, no matter your age. (Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for American Cinematheque)

Seymour said she likes workouts that can be done anywhere, rather than heading to the gym. Pilates, in particular, has been essential to her for maintaining a strong core.

“If you have core strength, you are less likely to have back injuries or back problems,” she said. “You are also more likely to look better up close. You’ll be able to stand more properly. The core is everything. And looking back at my ballet training, that was all about the core.”

Jane Seymour and Joe Lando are seen here as Dr. Michaela “Mike'” Quinn and Byron Sully for the made-for-TV movie “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Movie” in 1999. (Spike Nannarello/CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)

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Today, Seymour said she’s grateful to get up and move each day.

On the set, it’s common to see Jane Seymour stretching in between scenes. (Don Arnold/WireImage)

“I think a lot of women suffer from being invisible,” she said. “You were married, you had the job, and you had kids. But now, who am I? What’s my purpose? Where do I belong in this world? But you can be a full-blooded human being at any age. It’s a choice you make for yourself.”