Following a record-breaking 10 seasons as the brilliant Air Force Colonel Samantha Carter in Stargate SG-1, as well as a season on the series’ popular spinoff series Stargate Atlantis, Amanda Tapping is switching personas completely as she takes on the role of the enigmatic Dr. Helen Magnus in Sanctuary.

In addition to starring in the series, Tapping also takes on a strong business role as Executive Producer of the show.

After the wrap of Stargate SG-1, Tapping continued her role as Col. Carter in two DVD movies, Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum.

Tapping was born in Rochford, England and raised in Toronto, Canada with her three brothers.  She has enjoyed a very active television career outside the gate, having had the pleasure of starring on another show for the SCI FI Channel as host of the series Proof Positive which explores the science front of fact versus fiction. She has also guest starred on the television series 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.  Other television credits include Lessons in Love, Remembrance, The Haunting of Lisa, Degree of Guilt, Abby Lord and the USA miniseries Traffic.

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”.  

Tapping has a natural ability to make people laugh and she has engaged that trait into her work as co-founder of the Canadian comedy troupe, Random Acts.

She 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”.

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

A strong believer in mentorship and dedicated to constantly improving the world of the arts, whether she is behind or in front of the camera, Tapping is active in a number of professional organizations. She recently appeared in The Vagina Monologues, in support of V-Day, a worldwide movement to end violence against women and girls.

Tapping is an advocate of various charities and has contributed new computers to The Coast Foundation, a support agency for people with mental disabilities and also has had the honor to serve for a number of years as emcee for the celebrated Diamond Ball in support of The Canadian Cancer Society.  As well, Tapping is a proud supporter of the Waterkeepers Alliance.

Amanda Tapping currently resides in Vancouver with her husband Alan, daughter Olivia, and their dog, George.