In Hollywood, the couple that works together stays together.
Take filmmaker (and occasional actor) James Keach and his better-known actress-wife Jane Seymour. The two have been married nearly 14 years — quite happily, thanks to their concurrent work schedule.
They've also collaborated on nearly a dozen film and television projects, including the new feature film "Blind Dating."
"What can I say?" Keach said. "I like to be around my wife. She's wonderful to be around."
Seymour added, "Sometimes it's the only way we can see each other, since we're both so busy and always on the go."
The couple was in Salt Lake City recently on a "personal-appearance tour" to promote the new comedy, which follows Danny (Chris Pine), a young blind man about to undergo a risky, experimental surgical procedure to restore his sight. At the same time, Danny pursues what may be an even riskier romance with a young Indian-American woman, Leeza (Anjali Ray).
Keach produced and directed the movie. And for a change in one of their joint projects, Seymour takes a supporting role — that of Danny's therapist, who continually tries to disrobe in front of her handsome but blind patient.
"I wanted to see if I could get Jane to do something that would completely humiliate her," Keach said with a laugh. "But seriously, this was a film I desperately wanted to do. And when I showed Jane the script, she did as well."
Seymour laughed, adding, " I wanted to do something that would completely humiliate me."
All kidding aside, the couple knows the film faces stiff competition at the box office. "Blind Dating" is opening in the midst of a rush of Hollywood summer blockbusters (against the second week of "Spider-Man 3" and the upcoming "Shrek " and "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequels).
However, she said she's used to being the underdog. According to Seymour, her hit television show "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" was an "accidental hit," as was her 1980 romantic fantasy "Somewhere in Time." "In both cases, neither the network nor the studio had much confidence in the projects and were hoping they would go away quietly. Instead, they became huge hits and are the two things that I'm probably best known for."
Obviously, both Keach and Seymour are hoping that "Blind Dating" will become an "accidental hit" as well. "It's discouraging when you pour your heart and soul into a project," said Seymour, "and then it's buried by people who either don't get it or don't have the smarts to know how to market it."
However, she and Keach sound considerably happier about the efforts of Samuel Goldwyn Films, the independent distributor that is releasing "Blind Dating." "It's hard to tell," Seymour said, "but they seem genuinely enthused about the movie."
Speaking of enthusiasm, Keach had plenty of it as he praised the Utah films crews that worked on his movie. Most of "Blind Dating" was shot in Ogden, which gave him a variety of shooting locations. "I'd shoot everything here if I could. There are so many different-looking places in close proximity and so many talented people in Utah."
He also had praise for the local actors appearing in the film, particularly Frank Gerrish, who plays Danny's father. "Frank is a major talent, a guy who could be in a lot of Hollywood movies if he chose to."
However, according to Keach, Gerrish has chosen to stay in Utah with his family. "You have to admire someone with so much commitment to his family. He really puts the rest of us to shame."
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com