Amanda Tapping
{{Short description|English-Canadian actress and director (born 1965)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Amanda Tapping
| image = Amanda Tapping by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| caption = Tapping at the Phoenix Comicon, 2013
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|08|28|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Rochford, Essex, England
| nationality = Canadian/British
| other_names =
| occupation = Actress, director
| years_active = 1986–present
| spouse = Alan Kovacs
| children = 1
| parents =
| education = {{ubl|North Toronto Collegiate Institute|University of Windsor}}
| website = {{URL|amandatapping.com}}
}}
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. 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.{{cite web
| title = Biography
| url = http://www.amandatapping.com/Bio.html
| website = Amanda Tapping Official Website
| access-date = 2024-04-27
}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.amandatapping.com/Bio.html|title=Biography|access-date=9 January 2021|publisher=The Official Amanda Tapping website}}
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.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-02-23-0702230064-story.html|title='Stargate' expands its mission|access-date=9 January 2021|last=Ryan|first=Maureen|date=23 February 2007|work=Chicago Tribune}} In season 5, Tapping's role on the show was reduced to that of "special guest-star" with only occasional appearances{{cite web|url=http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=2&id=48051 |title=Atlantis To Start Season 5 |access-date=14 September 2008 |date=6 February 2008 |work=Sci Fi Wire |publisher=SCI FI |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706084005/http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=2&id=48051 |archive-date=6 July 2008 |url-status=live }} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.thecomedynetwork.ca/shows/htmlpage.aspx?pid=4720&sid=3603 |title=The Archives – 2007 |access-date=14 September 2008 |work=The Comedy Network |publisher=CTVglobemedia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706205445/http://www.thecomedynetwork.ca/shows/htmlpage.aspx?pid=4720&sid=3603 |archive-date=6 July 2011 }}
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.{{cite web|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/09/supernatural-spoilers-amanda-tapping-cast-in-major-new-angel-role-mike-farrell-goes-mental.html|title='Supernatural' spoilers: Amanda Tapping cast in major new angel role, Mike Farrell goes mental|work=Zap2It|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021211120/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/09/supernatural-spoilers-amanda-tapping-cast-in-major-new-angel-role-mike-farrell-goes-mental.html|archive-date=21 October 2012}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.actra.ca/news-release/2015/03/actra-names-amanda-tapping-2015-woman-of-the-year/|title=ACTRA names Amanda Tapping 2015 Woman of the Year|date=4 March 2015}}
= 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.{{cite web |url=http://stargate.mgm.com/view/episode/2633/index.html |title=Official Stargate Website: Episode: Resurrection |access-date=19 September 2009 |publisher=MGM |archive-date=13 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090713043956/http://stargate.mgm.com/view/episode/2633/index.html |url-status=dead }} She also directed the Sanctuary season two episode "Veritas".{{cite web |url=http://scifiwire.com/2009/09/how-did-amanda-tapping-pr.php |title=How did Amanda Tapping produce, direct and act Sanctuary |first=Mike |last=Szymanski |date=11 September 2009 |access-date=19 September 2009 |publisher=Sci Fi Wire |archive-date=14 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090914055324/http://scifiwire.com/2009/09/how-did-amanda-tapping-pr.php |url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite tweet | title=#AnneTheSeries Season Finale Tonight at 8/8:30NT on @CBC (also, it's directed by @amandatapping!) | user=AnneTheSeries | author=AnneTheSeries | author-link=Anne with an E | number=858712558298988544 | date=30 April 2017 | access-date=3 June 2017 }} In 2022, Tapping also directed two episodes of the television series Motherland: Fort Salem.{{Cite web |title=BBC Three - Fort Salem, Series 1, A Biddy's Life |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08kr8mr |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}
Personal life
Tapping is married to Allan Kovacs and they live together in Vancouver, British Columbia.{{Cite web |url=https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/courier-archive/news/amanda-tapping-on-coping-with-miscarriage-2972285 |title=Amanda Tapping on coping with miscarriage |website=Vancouver is Awesome |via=www.vancouverisawesome.com |date=7 May 2013 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.amandatapping.com/home.html|title=The Official Amanda Tapping Website|website=www.amandatapping.com |access-date=February 12, 2021}} 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.{{cite web|url= http://www.amandatapping.com/Scripts/NewSite/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=80|title= From Amanda – Her brother Steven|access-date= 16 October 2009|last= Tapping|first= Amanda|date= 26 December 2006|publisher= The Official Amanda Tapping website|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110707122238/http://www.amandatapping.com/Scripts/NewSite/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=80|archive-date= 7 July 2011|df= dmy-all}}
Filmography
= Film =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1995
|data-sort-value="Donor, The" | The Donor |Cassie | |
| 1996
|What Kind of Mother Are You? |Ingrid Elstad | |
| 1997
|Dr. Moore | |
| rowspan=2|2002
|Liz | |
| Life or Something Like It
|Carrie Maddox | |
| rowspan=2|2012
|Valentina | |
| Random Acts of Romance
|Dianne | |
| |2001
|data-sort-value="Void, The" | The Void |Prof Eva Soderstrom | |
| 2013
|Hell in a Handbag |Mother Superior | |
| 2014
|Teressia Lee Franks | |
| 2018
|Woodland |Donna |Voice |
| 2024
| Levels | MEL | Voice |
= Television =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| rowspan=3|1995
|Dr. Naomi Ross |"Near Death" |
| Degree of Guilt
|Marcy |rowspan=2|TV film |
| Net Worth
|Colleen Howe |
| rowspan=9|1996
|Dr. Barbara Bertrand |"Easy Breathing" |
| Goosebumps
|Mrs. Merton |"It Came from Beneath the Sink" |
| Due South
|Audrey McKenna |"Starman" |
| data-sort-value="Haunting of Lisa, The" | The Haunting of Lisa
|Gina / Angel |TV film |
| Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
|Annie |"Shaolin Shot" |
| data-sort-value="X-Files, The" | The X-Files
|Carina Sayles |"Avatar" |
| Golden Will: The Silken Laumann Story
|Kathryn Laumann |rowspan=2|TV film |
| Remembrance
|Linda |
| data-sort-value="Newsroom, The" | The Newsroom
|Lindsay Ward |"Dinner at Eight" |
| 1996–1997
|Miss Yansouni |Recurring role |
| 1997–2007
|Samantha Carter |Main role |
| 1998
|data-sort-value="Outer Limits, The" | The Outer Limits |Cmdr. Kate Girard |"The Joining" |
| 1999
|Dr. Cantor |"Borrowed Time" |
| 2001
|data-sort-value="Void, The" | The Void |Prof. Eva Soderstrom |TV film |
| 2004
|Home Owners Wife |rowspan=2|TV miniseries |
| 2005
|Lady Elfarren |
| 2005–2009
|Col. Samantha Carter |Guest role (seasons 1–3 and 5) |
| 2006
|Engaged to Kill |Det. Burns |TV film |
| 2007–2011
|Dr. Helen Magnus |Main role |
| rowspan=2|2008
|rowspan=2|Col. Samantha Carter |rowspan=2|TV film |
| Stargate: Continuum |
| 2009
|Josephina Rooney | |
| rowspan=2|2009–2010
|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
|Recurring role |
| 2013
|Dr. Kate Robbins |"The One That Got Away" |
| 2014
|Jillian |"Danny's New Job", "Everybody Loves Beth" |
| 2015
|Dr. Jaeger |"Kiss Kiss, Bye Bye" |
| 2017–2018
|Dr. Perrow |Recurring role (seasons 2–3) |
| 2022
|The Mother |Episode: "Revolution Part 2" |
= Director =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Series ! Episode(s) |
|---|
| 2004
|"Resurrection" |
| 2009–2011
|rowspan=4|Three episodes |
| 2012–2013 |
| rowspan=2|2013–2014 |
| Continuum |
| 2014
|"Other Powers" |
| rowspan=2|2015
|Family for Christmas |Hallmark Channel film |
| Olympus
|Four episodes |
| 2015–2016
|Two episodes |
| 2015–2017
|Four episodes |
| rowspan=3|2016
|data-sort-value="Magicians, The" | The Magicians |
| data-sort-value="Romeo Section, The" | The Romeo Section
|"Seeds of War" |
| Van Helsing
|Four episodes |
| 2016–2018
|Nine episodes |
| 2017–2020
|Four episodes |
| 2017
|Reel Women Seen |Short |
| 2017–2019
|Four episodes |
| 2018–2019
|Two episodes |
| rowspan=2|2019 |
| data-sort-value="100, The" | The 100
|"Matryoshka" |
| 2020–2022
|Seven episodes |
| rowspan=3| 2020
|data-sort-value="Flash, The" | The Flash |
| Batwoman
|"O, Mouse!" |
| Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
|"Chapter Thirty-Three: Deus Ex Machina" |
| 2022
|Two episodes |
| 2023
|data-sort-value="Irrational, The" | The Irrational |"Lucky Charms" |
| rowspan=4|2024
|"Romancing the Egg" |
| Dead Boy Detectives
|"The Case of the Two Dead Dragons" |
| rowspan=2|Murder in a Small Town
|"Prized Possessions" |
| "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.
| class="wikitable" |
| width="3.5%" | Year
! width="3.5%" | Award ! width="48.5%" | Category ! width="16%" | For ! width="3.5%" | Result |
|---|
| align="center" rowspan=2|2000
| Best Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | Stargate SG-1: "Point of View" | rowspan=4 {{nom}} |
| Saturn Award
| Best Supporting Actress on Television | – |
| align="center" rowspan=2|2001
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Stargate SG-1: "2010" |
| Saturn Award
| Best Supporting Actress on Television | – |
| align="center" rowspan=2|2002
| Leo Award | Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance – Female | Stargate SG-1: "Ascension" | {{won}} |
| Saturn Award
| Best Supporting Actress on Television | – | rowspan=2 {{nom}} |
| align="center" rowspan=3|2004
| rowspan=2|Leo Award | Dramatic Series: Best Direction | Stargate SG-1: "Resurrection" |
| Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance by a Female
| Stargate SG-1: "Grace" | rowspan=4 {{won}} |
| Saturn Award
| Best Supporting Actress on Television | – |
| align="center"|2005
| Leo Award | Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance by a Female | Stargate SG-1: "Threads" |
| align="center"|2007
| Best Actress (Film) | Breakdown |
| align="center" rowspan=6|2009
| rowspan=3|Constellation Award | Best Female Performance in a 2008 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Mini-Series | rowspan=4 {{nom}} |
| Best Female Performance in a 2008 Science Fiction Television Episode |
| Outstanding Canadian Contribution to Science Fiction Film or Television in 2008
| – |
| rowspan=2|Leo Award
| Lead Performance by a Female in a Feature Length Drama | Stargate: Continuum |
| Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance by a Female
| Sanctuary: "Requiem" | {{won}} |
| Gemini Award
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Sanctuary | {{nom}} |
| align="center"|2010
| Connecting the Community | Sanctuary for Kids | Received |
| align="center" rowspan=2|2012
| Leo Award | Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance by a Female | Sanctuary: "Tempus" | {{nom}} |
| Jules Verne Award
| Excellence exploration, environmental and cinematic achievements | Stargate SG-1 | Received |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Sister project links|wikt=no |commons=Amanda Tapping |b=no |n=no |q=no |s=no |v=no |species=no |display=Amanda Tapping}}
- {{Official website|http://amandatapping.com/}}
- {{IMDb name|0850102|Amanda Tapping}}
- {{Tcmdb name}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tapping, Amanda}}
Category:20th-century Canadian actresses
Category:21st-century Canadian actresses
Category:20th-century British actresses
Category:21st-century British actresses
Category:Actresses from Toronto
Category:Canadian stage actresses
Category:Canadian film actresses
Category:Canadian television actresses
Category:Canadian television directors
Category:English film actresses
Category:English stage actresses
Category:English television actresses
Category:English television directors
Category:English emigrants to Canada
Category:Canadian women television directors
Category:University of Windsor alumni
Category:20th-century English women
Category:20th-century English people
Category:21st-century English women