Syfy

Amanda Tapping starred as stunningly brilliant scientist Samantha Carter for the entire 10-year run of Stargate SG-1, the longest-running and most successful cable drama in television history. This season, she is traveling to the Pegasus galaxy to join the Stargate Atlantis team.

In addition to her role on Atlantis, Tapping is currently executive producing and starring in the new-media series Sanctuary, which made its world premiere on the Internet in May 2007. In March 2007, she traveled to Toronto to perform in The Vagina Monologues as part of V-Day, a worldwide movement to end violence against women. Prior to that, she served as a host and presenter at the 21st Annual Gemini Awards. Most recently, she garnered a Canadian Comedy Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance in John Bolton's short film, Breakdown.

Tapping also recently re-teamed with her SG-1 co-stars for two direct-to-DVD movies: Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum, which are slated for release in 2008.

Tapping was born in Rochford, England, and raised in Toronto with her three brothers. She has enjoyed a very active television career beyond Stargate, having had the pleasure of starring on another show for the SCI FI Channel, as the host of the paranormal-investigation series Proof Positive. She has also guest-starred on such television series as The X-Files, Due South, Forever Knight, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, The Newsroom, Millennium and The Outer Limits. In addition, she was a series regular on the Disney series Flash Forward. Her other television credits include Lessons in Love, Remembrance, The Haunting of Lisa, Degree of Guilt and Abby Lord. She also appeared in the USA miniseries Traffic.

Her feature-film credits include Booty Call, Rent-a-Kid, Getting a Life, Black Top and the independent film Stuck. Tapping also starred in The Void, with Malcolm McDowell and Adrian Paul, and she had a cameo in Life or Something Like It, with Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns.

A graduate of the University of Windsor School of Dramatic Art, Tapping has performed in such theatrical productions as Steel Magnolias, Look Back In Anger, Children of a Lesser God, Noises Off, The Lion in Winter, Picnic, The Shadow Walkers and The Taming of the Shrew. She is also the co-founder of the Canadian comedy troupe, Random Acts.

Due to Stargate SG-1's popularity on Armed Forces TV, Tapping and other cast members were invited, in December 2001, to visit the troops in Qatar on a USO Handshake Tour. She spent time with thousands of men and women over two days — a trip that was profoundly moving for her, both personally and professionally.

Tapping is a member of Women in Film & Video, and she hosted their Spotlight Gala Awards in 2003. That same year, Tapping made her directorial debut with an episode of Stargate SG-1 ("Resurrection"), which garnered her a Leo Award nomination for Best Director. She has also earned three Leo Awards for Best Actress. Tapping has been nominated for two Gemini Awards and four Saturn Awards for her role on SG-1. She won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2005. Multichannel News and Women in Cable & Telecommunications in New York also honored her in 2003 as a "Wonder Woman on Air."

She is an active advocate of various charities and industry organizations. Because of her commitment to and passion for the arts, Tapping continues to mentor new actors through Women in Film's "Flash Forward" program. She has supported numerous charitable organizations, including contributing new computers to The Coast Foundation, a support agency for people with mental disabilities, and she has had the honor to serve for several years as emcee for the celebrated Diamond Ball, in support of The Canadian Cancer Society. Tapping also is a proud spokesperson for UNICEF.

Tapping currently resides in Vancouver, where she enjoys kayaking and hiking with her husband, daughter and dog.