# Amanda Tapping

Amanda Tapping (born 28 August 1965) is a British-Canadian actress and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian–American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe. She also starred as Helen Magnus in the science fiction-fantasy television series Sanctuary.

## Early life

Born in Rochford, Essex, England, Tapping moved with her family to Ontario, Canada, when she was one year 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.

## 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 1990s.
Tapping is best known for her portrayal of Samantha Carter in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, which debuted in 1997. After SG-1 aired its final episode, Tapping reprised the role of Samantha Carter on Stargate Atlantis as the new commander of the Atlantis expedition. In season 5, however, Tapping's role on the show was reduced to that of "special guest-star" with only occasional appearances because she chose to focus her attention on the development of a new series for Syfy called Sanctuary. The show expanded on an original series of eight webisodes released on the internet in 2007. The bulk of the scenery and characters were entirely green screen and CGI creations. Tapping served as both star and executive producer of the show.
In 2007, she won a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Actress for her role in the short film Breakdown.
On 18 September 2012, she was cast as an angel named Naomi on season 8 of the TV series Supernatural. She was a recurring character who appeared in seven episodes. She reprised the role in season 13's "Funeralia", nearly five years after the character's apparent death.
She was also named as ACTRA's 2015 Woman of the Year.

### Directing

Tapping's directing debut was during the seventh season of Stargate SG-1 on an episode titled "Resurrection", written by co-star Michael Shanks. She also directed the Sanctuary season two episode "Veritas". She has directed three episodes of Primeval: New World, three episodes (2.12; 3.06; 3.07) of Continuum, and four episodes of Olympus and more recently episodes of Dark Matter, Van Helsing, The Magicians, and Supernatural, as well as the historical drama X Company. She also directed five episodes of the Netflix series Travelers and the season finale of the 2017 series Anne with an E. In 2022, Tapping also directed two episodes of the television series Motherland: Fort Salem.

## Personal life

Tapping is married to Allan Kovacs and they live together in Vancouver, British Columbia. Tapping has one daughter with Kovacs. Tapping has openly shared the difficult experiences she has undergone through eight miscarriages during her marriage in hope that her story would help other miscarrying women feel less isolated.
Tapping has two living brothers, Richard and Christopher. A third brother Steven, who suffered from epilepsy and often uncontrollable seizures, died in December 2006 of causes unreleased by the Tapping family.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | The Donor | Cassie | |
| 1996 | What Kind of Mother Are You? | Ingrid Elstad | |
| 1997 | Booty Call | Dr. Moore | |
| 2002 | Stuck | Liz | |
| 2002 | Life or Something Like It | Carrie Maddox | |
| 2012 | Space Milkshake | Valentina | |
| 2012 | Random Acts of Romance | Dianne | |
| 2001 | The Void | Prof Eva Soderstrom | |
| 2013 | Hell in a Handbag | Mother Superior | |
| 2014 | Kid Cannabis | Teressia Lee Franks | |
| 2018 | Woodland | Donna | Voice |
| 2024 | Levels | MEL | Voice |

### 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 | The 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" |
| 2001 | The Void | Prof. Eva Soderstrom | TV film |
| 2004 | Traffic | Home Owners Wife | TV miniseries |
| 2005 | Earthsea | Lady Elfarren | TV miniseries |
| 2005–2009 | Stargate Atlantis | Col. Samantha Carter | Guest role (seasons 1–3 and 5) Main role (season 4) |
| 2006 | Engaged to Kill | Det. Burns | TV film |
| 2007–2011 | Sanctuary | Dr. Helen Magnus | Main role |
| 2008 | Stargate: The Ark of Truth | Col. Samantha Carter | TV film |
| 2008 | Stargate: Continuum | Col. Samantha Carter | TV film |
| 2009 | Dancing Trees | Josephina Rooney | |
| 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" |
| 2017–2018 | Travelers | Dr. Perrow | Recurring role (seasons 2–3) |
| 2022 | Motherland: Fort Salem | The Mother | Episode: "Revolution Part 2" |

### Director

| Year | Series | Episode(s) |
| 2004 | Stargate SG-1 | "Resurrection" |
| 2009–2011 | Sanctuary | Three episodes |
| 2012–2013 | Primeval: New World | Three episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Arctic Air | Three episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Continuum | Three episodes |
| 2014 | Strange Empire | "Other Powers" |
| 2015 | Family for Christmas | Hallmark Channel film |
| 2015 | Olympus | Four episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Dark Matter | Two episodes |
| 2015–2017 | X Company | Four episodes |
| 2016 | The Magicians | "Remedial Battle Magic" |
| 2016 | The Romeo Section | "Seeds of War" |
| 2016 | Van Helsing | Four episodes |
| 2016–2018 | Travelers | Nine episodes |
| 2017–2020 | Anne with an E | Four episodes |
| 2017 | Reel Women Seen | Short |
| 2017–2019 | Supernatural | Four episodes |
| 2018–2019 | Siren | Two episodes |
| 2019 | Blindspot | "Masters of War 1:5 – 8" |
| 2019 | The 100 | "Matryoshka" |
| 2020–2022 | Motherland: Fort Salem | Seven episodes |
| 2020 | The Flash | "Pay the Piper" |
| 2020 | Batwoman | "O, Mouse!" |
| 2020 | Chilling Adventures of Sabrina | "Chapter Thirty-Three: Deus Ex Machina" |
| 2022 | First Kill | Two episodes |
| 2023 | The Irrational | "Lucky Charms" |
| 2024 | Wild Cards | "Romancing the Egg" |
| 2024 | Dead Boy Detectives | "The Case of the Two Dead Dragons" |
| 2024 | Murder in a Small Town | "Prized Possessions" |
| 2024 | Murder in a Small Town | "A Touch of Panic" |

## 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

## Awards and nominations

Tapping has won 6 awards, out of 13 nominations.
| Year | Award | Category | For | Result |
| 2000 | Leo Award | Best Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | Stargate SG-1: "Point of View" | Nominated |
| 2000 | Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actress on Television | – | Nominated |
| 2001 | Gemini Award | Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Stargate SG-1: "2010" | Nominated |
| 2001 | Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actress on Television | – | Nominated |
| 2002 | Leo Award | Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance – Female | Stargate SG-1: "Ascension" | Won |
| 2002 | Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actress on Television | – | Nominated |
| 2004 | Leo Award | Dramatic Series: Best Direction | Stargate SG-1: "Resurrection" | Nominated |
| 2004 | Leo Award | Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance by a Female | Stargate SG-1: "Grace" | Won |
| 2004 | Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actress on Television | – | Won |
| 2005 | Leo Award | Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance by a Female | Stargate SG-1: "Threads" | Won |
| 2007 | Canadian Comedy Award | Best Actress (Film) | Breakdown | Won |
| 2009 | Constellation Award | Best Female Performance in a 2008 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Mini-Series | Stargate: Continuum | Nominated |
| 2009 | Constellation Award | Best Female Performance in a 2008 Science Fiction Television Episode | Sanctuary: "Requiem" | Nominated |
| 2009 | Constellation Award | Outstanding Canadian Contribution to Science Fiction Film or Television in 2008 | – | Nominated |
| 2009 | Leo Award | Lead Performance by a Female in a Feature Length Drama | Stargate: Continuum | Nominated |
| 2009 | Leo Award | Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance by a Female | Sanctuary: "Requiem" | Won |
| 2009 | Gemini Award | Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Sanctuary | Nominated |
| 2010 | Women of Distinction Awards | Connecting the Community | Sanctuary for Kids | Received |
| 2012 | Leo Award | Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance by a Female | Sanctuary: "Tempus" | Nominated |
| 2012 | Jules Verne Award | Excellence exploration, environmental and cinematic achievements | Stargate SG-1 | Received |