Amanda Tapping
British-Canadian actress and director (born 1965)
title: "Amanda Tapping" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1965-births", "20th-century-canadian-actresses", "21st-century-canadian-actresses", "20th-century-british-actresses", "21st-century-british-actresses", "actresses-from-essex", "actresses-from-toronto", "canadian-stage-actresses", "canadian-film-actresses", "canadian-television-actresses", "canadian-television-directors", "english-film-actresses", "english-stage-actresses", "english-television-actresses", "english-television-directors", "english-emigrants-to-canada", "canadian-women-television-directors", "living-people", "actors-from-rochford", "university-of-windsor-alumni", "canadian-twins", "english-twins", "20th-century-english-women", "20th-century-english-people", "21st-century-english-women", "21st-century-english-people", "canadian-comedy-award-winners"] description: "British-Canadian actress and director (born 1965)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Tapping" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary British-Canadian actress and director (born 1965) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Amanda Tapping |
| image | Amanda Tapping by Gage Skidmore.jpg |
| caption | Tapping at the Phoenix Comicon, 2013 |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Rochford, Essex, England |
| occupation | Actress, director |
| years_active | 1986–present |
| spouse | Alan Kovacs |
| children | 1 |
| citizenship | Canadian, British |
| education | University of Windsor |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = Amanda Tapping | image = Amanda Tapping by Gage Skidmore.jpg | caption = Tapping at the Phoenix Comicon, 2013 | birth_date = | birth_place = Rochford, Essex, England | other_names = | occupation = Actress, director | years_active = 1986–present | spouse = Alan Kovacs | children = 1 | citizenship = Canadian, British | parents = | education = University of Windsor | website = Amanda Tapping (born 28 August 1965) is a British-born 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 starred as Dr. Helen Magnus in the science fiction-fantasy television series Sanctuary, which she also produced.
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. When she finished in 1984, she decided to focus her attention on drama, graduating from the University of Windsor School of Dramatic Arts in Windsor, Ontario.{{cite web | title = Biography | url = http://www.amandatapping.com/Bio.html | website = Amanda Tapping Official Website | access-date = 2024-04-27
Career
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/AmandaTapping_(2).jpg" caption="Tapping at Comic Con 2007 in San Diego"] ::
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 episodes of 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. She appeared in a main role in all ten seasons of the series. After SG-1 concluded, Tapping reprised the role of Samantha Carter on Stargate Atlantis in the fourth season. In season 5, Tapping's role on the show was reduced to that of "special guest-star" with only occasional appearances. Tapping chose to focus her attention on the development of a new series called Sanctuary. The show debuted as an original series of eight webisodes released on the internet in 2007, and was later picked up by Syfy as a television series. 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 in 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 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 three brothers, one of whom suffered from epilepsy, often had uncontrollable seizures, and died in December 2006 of causes unreleased by the Tapping family.
Filmography
Film
::data[format=table]
| 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 | |
| 2002 | Stuck | Liz | |
| Life or Something Like It | Carrie Maddox | ||
| 2012 | Space Milkshake | Valentina | |
| Random Acts of Romance | Dianne | ||
| 2013 | Hell in a Handbag | Mother Superior | |
| 2014 | Kid Cannabis | Teressia Lee Franks | |
| 2018 | Woodland | Donna | Voice |
| 2024 | Levels | MEL | Voice |
| :: |
Television
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Forever Knight | Dr. Naomi Ross | "Near Death" |
| Degree of Guilt | Marcy | TV film | |
| Net Worth | Colleen Howe | ||
| 1996 | Side Effects | Dr. Barbara Bertrand | "Easy Breathing" |
| Goosebumps | Mrs. Merton | "It Came from Beneath the Sink" | |
| Due South | Audrey McKenna | "Starman" | |
| The Haunting of Lisa | Gina / Angel | TV film | |
| Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Annie | "Shaolin Shot" | |
| The X-Files | Carina Sayles | "Avatar" | |
| Golden Will: The Silken Laumann Story | Kathryn Laumann | TV film | |
| Remembrance | Linda | ||
| 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 | |
| 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 |
| Stargate: Continuum | |||
| 2009 | Dancing Trees | Josephina Rooney | |
| 2009–2010 | Riese: Kingdom Falling | Narrator | Main role |
| 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
::data[format=table]
| Year | Series | Episode(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Stargate SG-1 | "Resurrection" |
| 2009–2011 | Sanctuary | Three episodes |
| 2012–2013 | Primeval: New World | |
| 2013–2014 | Arctic Air | |
| Continuum | ||
| 2014 | Strange Empire | "Other Powers" |
| 2015 | Family for Christmas | Hallmark Channel film |
| Olympus | Four episodes | |
| 2015–2016 | Dark Matter | Two episodes |
| 2015–2017 | X Company | Four episodes |
| 2016 | The Magicians | "Remedial Battle Magic" |
| The Romeo Section | "Seeds of War" | |
| 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" |
| The 100 | "Matryoshka" | |
| 2020–2022 | Motherland: Fort Salem | Seven episodes |
| 2020 | The Flash | "Pay the Piper" |
| Batwoman | "O, Mouse!" | |
| 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" |
| Dead Boy Detectives | "The Case of the Two Dead Dragons" | |
| 2024-2025 | Murder in a Small Town | Four episodes |
| :: |
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 six awards, out of thirteen nominations. ::data[format=table]
| Year | Award | Category | For | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Leo Award | Best Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | Stargate SG-1: "Point of View" | rowspan=4 |
| Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actress on Television | – | ||
| 2001 | Gemini Award | Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Stargate SG-1: "2010" | |
| Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actress on Television | – | ||
| 2002 | Leo Award | Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance – Female | Stargate SG-1: "Ascension" | |
| Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actress on Television | – | rowspan=2 | |
| 2004 | Leo Award | Dramatic Series: Best Direction | Stargate SG-1: "Resurrection" | |
| Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance by a Female | Stargate SG-1: "Grace" | rowspan=4 | ||
| Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actress on Television | – | ||
| 2005 | Leo Award | Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance by a Female | Stargate SG-1: "Threads" | |
| 2007 | Canadian Comedy Award | Best Actress (Film) | Breakdown | |
| 2009 | Constellation Award | Best Female Performance in a 2008 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Mini-Series | Stargate: Continuum | rowspan=4 |
| Best Female Performance in a 2008 Science Fiction Television Episode | Sanctuary: "Requiem" | |||
| Outstanding Canadian Contribution to Science Fiction Film or Television in 2008 | – | |||
| Leo Award | Lead Performance by a Female in a Feature Length Drama | Stargate: Continuum | ||
| Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance by a Female | Sanctuary: "Requiem" | |||
| Gemini Award | Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Sanctuary | ||
| 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" | |
| Jules Verne Award | Excellence exploration, environmental and cinematic achievements | Stargate SG-1 | Received | |
| :: |
References
References
- Warriner, Tiffany. "Amanda Tapping BFA '88". University of Windsor.
- "Biography". The Official Amanda Tapping website.
- Ryan, Maureen. (23 February 2007). "'Stargate' expands its mission". Chicago Tribune.
- (6 February 2008). "Atlantis To Start Season 5". [[SCI FI]].
- "The Archives – 2007". [[CTVglobemedia]].
- "'Supernatural' spoilers: Amanda Tapping cast in major new angel role, Mike Farrell goes mental". Zap2It.
- (4 March 2015). "ACTRA names Amanda Tapping 2015 Woman of the Year".
- "Official Stargate Website: Episode: Resurrection". MGM.
- Szymanski, Mike. (11 September 2009). "How did Amanda Tapping produce, direct and act Sanctuary". [[Sci Fi Wire]].
- AnneTheSeries. (30 April 2017). "#AnneTheSeries Season Finale Tonight at 8/8:30NT on @CBC (also, it's directed by @amandatapping!)".
- "BBC Three - Fort Salem, Series 1, A Biddy's Life".
- (7 May 2013). "Amanda Tapping on coping with miscarriage".
- "The Official Amanda Tapping Website".
- Tapping, Amanda. (26 December 2006). "From Amanda – Her brother Steven". The Official Amanda Tapping website.
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