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Amanda Tapping (born August 28, 1965) is an English-born Canadian actress and producer. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. She also starred as Dr. Helen Magnus in the Syfy Channel series Sanctuary. Amanda's favorite villain as said in a interview and others, is Apophis because he's her first. She was a director in The Flash and Batwoman.

Background

Born in Rochford, Essex, England, she moved with her family to Ontario, Canada when she was three years old. She attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute where she excelled in environmental science and drama. However, when she finished in 1984, she decided to focus her attention on drama, attending the University of Windsor School of Dramatic Arts in Windsor, Ontario.

Acting career

After graduation Tapping continued to study theatrical arts while performing in several stage productions. She appeared in several television commercials and played a variety of roles in television and film productions, such as The Outer Limits and The X-Files. She also formed a comedy troupe, the "Random Acts", with collaborators Katherine Jackson and Anne Marie Kerr, in Toronto in the early 90's.

Tapping is best known for her portrayal of Samantha Carter in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, which debuted in 1997. After SG1 aired its final episode, Tapping reprised the role of Samantha Carter on Stargate Atlantis as the new commander of the Atlantis expedition. In season five however, Tapping's role on the show was reduced to that of "special guest-star" with only occasional appearances due to her choosing to focus attention on the development of a new series for the SCI FI Channel (now SyFy Channel) called Sanctuary. The show consisted of 13 episodes which expanded on an original show released on the internet in 2007 as a series of eight "webisodes", where the bulk of the scenery and characters are entirely green screen and CGI creations. Tapping serves as both star and executive producer of the show.

In 2007, Tapping won a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Actress for her role in the short film Breakdown.

Tapping is also working with William Shatner on a 2011 animated webisode series "The Zenoids", written by Alan Dean Foster. Tapping and Shatner voice characters and Tapping is executive producer.

On September 18, 2012, she was cast as an angel named Naomi on the TV series Supernatural. She was a recurring character who appeared in seven episodes.

On December 31, 2015‎ she was cast as Colonel Carter on the TV series Star Trek: Intrepid, she was a recurring character who appeared in several episodes and Amanda has appeared on other Star Trek TV shows.

In 2018, she was cast as General Carter in her own spin-off series Star Trek: George Hammond. On June 3rd, 2018 Amanda portrayed Sam Carter in the first episode called Shakedown Cruise.

Directing experience

Tapping's first directing experience was during the seventh season of Stargate SG-1 on an episode titled "Resurrection", written by co-star Michael Shanks. She directed the seventh episode of Sanctuary season two titled "Veritas". She has directed three episodes (6, 8 and 10) of Primeval: New World, three episodes (2.12; 3.06; 3.07) of Continuum, and four episodes (5, 6, 9 and 10) of Olympus and more recently directed episodes of Dark Matter, Van Helsing, The Magicians, and Supernatural, as well as the historical drama X Company She also directed 5 episodes (1.12; 2.4; 2.7; 2.8 and 2.9) of Netflix Original Show Travelers ; Tapping directed the season finale of the 2017 series Anne with an "E".

Personal life

In 1994 Amanda Tapping married Alan Kovacs. As of 2004, Tapping lives with her husband, Alan Kovacs, in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has one daughter, Olivia B., born on 22 March, 2005. Tapping has two living brothers, Richard and Christopher. Chris is her fraternal twin, who works in Toronto as a database administrator. A third brother, Steven, died in December 2006.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1995 The Donor Cassie
1996 What Kind of Mother Are You? Ingrid Elstad
1997 Booty Call Dr. Moore
2001 The Void Prof. Eva Soderstrom Video
2002 Stuck Liz
2002 Life or Something Like It Carrie Maddox
2008 Stargate: The Ark of Truth Samantha Carter Video
2008 Stargate: Continuum Samantha Carter Video
2009 Dancing Trees Josephina Rooney
2012 Space Milkshake Valentina
2012 Random Acts of Romance Dianne
2013 Hell in a Handbag Mother Superior
2014 Kid Cannabis Teressia Lee Franks

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Forever Knight Dr. Naomi Ross "Near Death"
1995 Degree of Guilt Marcy TV film
1995 Net Worth Colleen Howe TV film
1996 Side Effects Dr. Barbara Bertrand "Easy Breathing"
1996 Goosebumps Mrs. Merton "It Came from Beneath the Sink"
1996 Due South Audrey McKenna "Starman"
1996 Haunting of Lisa Gina / Angel TV film
1996 Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Annie "Shaolin Shot"
1996 The X-Files Carina Sayles "Avatar"
1996 Golden Will: The Silken Laumann Story Kathryn Laumann TV film
1996 Remembrance Linda TV film
1996 The Newsroom Lindsay Ward "Dinner at Eight"
1996–1997 Flash Forward Miss Yansouni Recurring role
1997–2007 Stargate SG-1 Samantha Carter
Replicator Carter
Main role
Recurring role (Season 8)
1998 The Outer Limits Cmdr. Kate Girard "The Joining"
1999 Millennium Dr. Cantor "Borrowed Time"
2004 Traffic Home Owners Wife TV miniseries
2005 Earthsea Lady Elfarren TV miniseries
2005–2009 Stargate Atlantis Samantha Carter Guest role (Season 1–3, 5)
Main role (Season 4)
2006 Engaged to Kill Det. Burns TV film
2007–2011 Sanctuary Dr. Helen Magnus Main role
2009–2010 Riese: Kingdom Falling Narrator Main role
2009–2010 Stargate Universe Col. Samantha Carter "Air: Part 1", "Incursion: Part 1"
2010 Canadian Comedy Shorts Mary Johnson "Breakdown"
2012 Taken Back: Finding Haley Susan TV film
2012–2013, 2018 Supernatural Naomi Recurring role
2013 Motive Dr. Kate Robbins "The One That Got Away"
2014 Package Deal Jillian "Danny's New Job", "Everybody Loves Beth"
2015 Killjoys Dr. Jaeger "Kiss Kiss, Bye Bye"
2016–2017 Travelers Dr. Perrow Recurring role (season 2)

Director

Year Series Episode
2004 Stargate SG-1 "Resurrection"
2009–2011 Sanctuary 3 episodes
2012–2013 Primeval: New World
2013–2014 Arctic Air
Continuum
2014 Strange Empire Episode: "Other Powers"
2015 Family for Christmas TV film
Olympus 4 episodes
2015–2016 Dark Matter 2 episodes
2015–2017 X Company 4 episodes
2016 The Magicians Episode: "Remedial Battle Magic"
The Romeo Section Episode: "Seeds of War"
Van Helsing 4 episodes
2016–2018 Travelers 9 episodes
2017–2020 Anne 4 episodes
2017 Reel Women Seen Short
2017–2019 Supernatural 4 episodes
2018-2019 Siren 2 episodes
2019 Blindspot Episode: "Masters of War 1:5 – 8"
The 100 Episode: "Matryoshka"
2020 Motherland: Fort Salem Episode: "A Biddy's Life"
The Flash Episode: "Pay the Piper"
Batwoman Episode: "O, Mouse!"

Theatre

  • The Wizard of Oz
  • The Lion in Winter as "Alais Capet"
  • Steel Magnolias – West End Theater
  • Look Back in Anger as "Alison" (1986)
  • Children of a Lesser God as "Sarah" (1987)
  • The Taming of the Shrew as "Bianca" (1988)
  • Noises Off
  • The Shadow Walkers

Credits

The Flash

Director

Season 6
  • "Pay the Piper"

Batwoman

Director

Season 1
  • "O, Mouse!"

Trivia

  • Tapping is best known for her role as Samantha Carter in the Stargate franchise.
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