Jane Seymour Joins ABC's 'The Hypnotist’s Love Story' Pilot Cast

Iconic Star Makes a Comeback

Let’s talk about something exciting. Jane Seymour, the legendary actress who became a household name with her role in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, might be returning to our screens in a big way. She's signed on for what could be her first regular series role in years, joining the cast of the upcoming ABC drama pilot The Hypnotist’s Love Story. This show, based on the novel by the talented Liane Moriarty, promises to be a captivating journey through love, relationships, and the unexpected twists that life throws at us.

What’s the Story?

Here’s the deal: The Hypnotist’s Love Story follows Ellen, a hypnotherapist who’s had her fair share of romantic ups and downs. But now, she thinks she’s found the one—her boyfriend, played by Adan Canto. Sounds perfect, right? Well, not so fast. Her boyfriend comes with baggage, and not the kind you can just check at the door. His ex-girlfriend, Saskia, played by Heather Graham, has turned into a full-blown stalker. Now, here's the twist—Ellen is actually kind of into the idea of having a stalker. Little does she know, they’ve already crossed paths. Jane Seymour, at the impressive age of 68, steps into the role of Ellen’s mother, Anne. Anne is described as an independent single mother who’s a little puzzled by her daughter’s yearning for a traditional romance. It's going to be an interesting dynamic, to say the least.

Empathy for a Stalker?

Now, here’s where things get really interesting. In the original book, there’s a surprising twist: Saskia, the stalker character, actually elicits a bit of empathy from readers. If you’ve watched shows like You, you know how captivating—and unsettling—it can be when we find ourselves rooting for a character who does some pretty dark things. Author Liane Moriarty shared her thoughts on this with SheReads.org, saying, “I did feel compassion for her (and the awful thing is that I’m sure I wouldn’t have felt the same compassion if that character was a man). I found it quite scary how easy it was to put myself in her shoes and imagine behaving that way.”

But before you get too worried, Liane was quick to clarify, “My compassion is not because I have personal experience as a stalker.” She went on to explain her research process: “I read some great books on the psychology of stalking and learned that many stalkers have recently experienced a loss in their life, and that helped me create a backstory for Saskia. Once I had her backstory and felt I knew her, it became very easy to write from her point of view and understand her twisted logic. When I switched back to Ellen’s perspective, I had to remind myself that her victims would find her behavior very distressing.”

This idea of finding sympathy for characters like stalkers and serial killers is explored further in our Classic TV & Film podcast with You author Caroline Kepnes.