Actress Jane Seymour has opened up about the famous and risqué scene that shocked audiences in the 2005 hit comedy Wedding Crashers, admitting she and co-star Owen Wilson were "very nervous" about filming it.
From Dr. Quinn to 'Kitty Cat': A Career-Defining Pivot
Best known for her wholesome role as the pioneering doctor in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Seymour completely subverted expectations by playing the sexually voracious Washington socialite Kathleen Cleary. The most memorable moment sees her character seduce Owen Wilson's John Beckwith by revealing her surgically enhanced breasts and insisting he feel them. As the film returns to cinemas on December 4 and 11 for its 20th anniversary, the 74-year-old actress is reminiscing about the career-changing part.
Seymour told People magazine that both she and Wilson, then 57, were anxious. "Owen was actually very nervous about the whole experience, and I was too!" she shared. She overcame her own nerves by fully committing to the character, telling Wilson, "Jane Seymour might have a problem with what you’re going to do, but currently I'm not her. I'm Kathleen."
On-Set Jitters and an Improvised Finale
The actress revealed that director David Dobkin's specific instructions for Wilson's physical actions only heightened the tension. "David Dobkin would say, 'Can you just relax your fingers a little bit? Can you just move your fingers slightly?'" Seymour recalled, adding that "the whole experience of shooting it was funnier even than the actual scene!"
The scene found its perfect ending thanks to Wilson's improvisation. "After we'd done the scene... Owen whispered to me and just said, 'When the scene finishes and you leave, just say 'Pervert.'" Seymour agreed, and the line became the iconic button on the sequence. "That was the button that that scene needed, and it was amazing," she said.
Defying Advice and Igniting a Second Act
Despite her success, Seymour was actively advised against taking the role. Her agent warned she'd have to audition, and her then-husband, James Keach, cautioned that "Dr. Quinn's fans are going to go nuts." Furthermore, she discovered the film's producers were largely unaware of her acclaimed TV work.
"David Dobkin and they kind of looked at me and they said, 'Oh, we love your work from Live and Let Die,'" she said, referencing her Bond girl role from 1973. "They thought I'd done nothing since Live and Let Die! I was 20 years old then, and I was 55... What was I doing for 35 years that completely went past their radar?"
Ultimately, she trusted her instincts. "I just thought, 'You know what? I have to play this role. I just know exactly what I'd do with it, and this is hilarious and iconic.'" The gamble paid off spectacularly. The film was a box office smash, grossing over $288 million worldwide, and reinvented Seymour as a comedic talent.
"It opened up a whole career for me," she stated. "Usually, when you're an actress at 40, and you've been a leading lady, they kind of go, 'Enough. Thank you, next.'... I did a ton of comedy after that... It opened up an unbelievable second career." This second act includes her current lead role in Acorn TV's mystery drama Harry Wild and a part in Hallmark's The Twelve Dates ‘Til Christmas.
Reflecting on longevity in the industry, Seymour urges older actresses to persevere. "Don’t give up and be authentic," she advised. "Don’t pretend to be 20 when you’re 70. Be 70." The mother of four, who is also a grandmother, concluded, "I’m very proud of that movie. I’m so glad I did it."
