Amanda Tapping was born in Rochford, Essex, England, UK and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She earned her BFA in Acting at the University of Windsor. She spent 12 seasons on Stargate SG-1 and its spin-offs Stargate: Atlantis and SGU Stargate Universe as Samantha Carter. She then took on the lead role of Dr. Helen Magnus on the television series Sanctuary; a project she had been nurturing from its inception on the internet.
Tapping has come to secure a strong and direct influence on her projects from behind the lens. She was an Executive Producer of Sanctuary and also sat in the director's chair for several episodes. She directed an episode of Stargate: SG-1, which garnered her a Leo Award nomination for Best Director. She has also directed episodes of Primeval: New World, Arctic Air, Continuum, Dark Matter, X Company, and other shows. Tapping has also earned four Leo Awards for Best Actress, has been nominated for two Gemini Awards and four Saturn Awards and won the 2005 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Amanda's love of comedy lead her to co-found the all female Canadian comedy troupe Random Acts. Her work in the short film Breakdown earned her the Canadian Comedy Award in 2007.
