Jane Seymour Recalls 1981 Oscars Hair Disaster That Sparked Fashion Trend

Jane Seymour still cringes over her hair at the 1981 Oscars.

The actress told Women's World she aimed for glamour but ended up with a frizzy mess. "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!" she said. Her hairdresser went for big hair, and a critic called it "50 pounds of mildewed mattress stuffing." The 75-year-old has never forgotten the line.

Ralph Lauren's team reached out afterward, asking who styled it. Seymour first claimed she did it herself to protect her hairdresser. They wanted to replicate the look for a fashion show. She shared the contact, launching a trend she now regrets.

Seymour skips revivals of 1980s big hair but embraces throwbacks. "I like to shop in my own closet," she said. She kept clothes with big shoulder pads because styles cycle back. Recently, she wore outfits from 20 or 30 years ago on red carpets. They fit right in. She has stayed the same size since age 17 as a ballet dancer, she told Fox News Digital.

"I am now the size I was when I was 17 and a ballet dancer," she said. She avoids extreme dieting. She gained no more than 10 pounds over the years. She was thinner for 1988's "War and Remembrance" and playing Wallis Simpson, but that weakened her immune system.

Seymour skips breakfast for liquids and vitamins with collagen, plus black tea, coffee or water. Lunch features salmon, shrimp, grilled vegetables or Italian food like eggplant Parmesan or lean chicken. She rarely eats steak but allows occasional filet slices. Fish and vegetables suit her better. She grows lettuce, arugula, artichokes, avocados, blueberries, strawberries and kale in pots to avoid bugs. She grills them with olive oil and salt.

For crunchy salty cravings, she bakes crispy sweet potato or toasts pumpkin seeds with Tamari Lite. Pistachios work too. She gets nutrients from food.

She stays active with Gyrotonics, Pilates and floor work anyone can do at home on a yoga mat. It echoes her ballet days. She uses light weights, five or eight pounds per hand, for arms and legs. Proper technique matters to avoid injury. After back surgery years ago, she listens to her body and skips if needed. Pilates builds core strength to prevent back issues and improve posture.

Seymour prefers workouts anywhere over gyms. "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."

She values daily movement. "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."