Jenny Seagrove
A Woman of Substance and Judge John Deed actress, Jenny Seagrove talks about making mistakes, her love of nature and the amazing power of horses
I was going to be a vet
Ever since my childhood growing up in Malaysia, where I would play with baby orangutans and brown bears, I’ve always loved animals. Before acting, I originally wanted to be a vet and took science A-levels, but then I realised I’d be a terrible vet because I’m too sentimental and would have struggled putting animals down. That’s when I decided to become an actress instead and was lucky enough to get into films and TV quite quickly.
Life doesn’t always follow a plan
I made some mistakes early on in my personal life that meant my career didn’t follow the arc it was perhaps leading to, but that’s fine. I realised you make decisions in life based on who you are as a person and what seems to be the right thing to do at the time. I made some wrong decisions and that meant I ended up with a career that might not have been stellar, but it was a good career and I’m now with someone I completely adore who I’ve lived with for 24 years (Jenny’s partner is theatre producer Bill Kenwright).
Horses are such incredible healers
I’ve ridden horses since I was seven but it’s only since setting up my horse sanctuary, Mane Chance (www. manechancesanctuary. org) which rescues and rehabilitates abused, abandoned and old horses, that I’ve realised quite how amazing they are and how they can help us. Horses are incredibly sensitive and can teach us so much just by the way they interact with us. I’ve had many beautiful quiet communications with horses that make me feel humbled and peaceful. And I see the same thing working with many of the sick children and adults with disabilities who come to visit the sanctuary.
Nature is my solace
I’m not very good at relaxing but nature has always been my solace and my teacher. To get your fingers in dirt and connect with other living beings is very important, I think; it grounds you. When I’m not working I often like walking as it forces me to put my mobile phone away.
Social media is terrifying
I see the young people we work with at the sanctuary being bullied and suffering from short attention spans because of social media. On Instagram, you see girls asking how they can look like so-and-so and it’s wrong. The emphasis is on what you look like and how many followers you have, rather than if you’re a decent person. I think the internet is very isolating and I’m frightened for them. I feel so lucky I grew up in a time before that.
Jenny is supporting wetnose day on september 29-october 1, which fundraises for small independent animal charities. For more info call 01508 518650 or visit www. wetnoseanimalaid.com she was talking to Katharine wootton