Amanda Tapping

Amanda Tapping (born 28 August 1965) is an English-born Canadian actress. Born in Rochford, Essex in England, she moved with her family to Ontario, Canada when she was 3 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 when she attended the University of Windsor School of Dramatic Arts in Windsor, Ontario.

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 90s.

Tapping as Samantha Carter in Stargate SG-1.Tapping is best known for her portrayal of Samantha Carter (originally ranked Captain, with subsequent promotion to Major, followed by Lieutenant Colonel), in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, which debuted in 1997.

As of 2004, Amanda lives with her husband, Alan Kovacs, in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has one daughter, Olivia B., born on 22 March 2005. Tapping has three brothers, Richard, Christopher and Steven. Chris is a fraternal twin, who works in Toronto as a database administrator. Tapping's brother Steven died in December 2006.