Amanda Tapping

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

Early life

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.

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.