Biography
Who is Amanda Tapping?
Early education and background
Born in Rochford, England, she relocated to Canada at three years old. She attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute. After graduating in 1984, she enrolled at the University of Windsor to study dramatic arts.
Acting roles and television work
Her professional career started with stage work and television commercials. In the early 1990s, she formed a comedy group called Random Acts in Toronto with collaborators Katherine Jackson and Anne Marie Kerr. She appeared on shows like The X-Files and The Outer Limits before landing her most famous role.
She played Samantha Carter in the military science fiction series Stargate SG-1 starting in 1997. She remained with that show for all ten seasons. Later, she brought the character to Stargate Atlantis, first as a regular cast member and later as a guest star. She also developed and produced the fantasy series Sanctuary, which started as eight webisodes on the internet before being picked up by Syfy as a full television series. The show relied heavily on green screen and CGI technology for its scenery.
Directing career highlights
Amanda Tapping began directing on the set of Stargate SG-1 with the episode Resurrection, which was written by her co-star Michael Shanks. Since then, she has directed numerous television programs.
Her credits include episodes of Continuum, Primeval: New World, and the historical drama X Company. She directed for the series Travelers, where she also acted as Dr. Perrow. Her work spans shows like The Magicians, Van Helsing, and Dark Matter. She also directed the season finale of the 2017 series Anne with an E. Recently, she directed episodes of the show Motherland: Fort Salem and the Netflix project Crew Girl.
Family life and personal experiences
Amanda Tapping is married to Allan Kovacs, and they reside together in Vancouver, British Columbia. The couple has one daughter. She has three brothers, one of whom passed away in 2006.
She has spoken publicly about her experience with eight miscarriages during her marriage. She shared these difficult details in hopes of supporting other women facing similar struggles.
Theatre credits and awards
Before her television fame, she performed in various stage productions. Her theatre credits include The Lion in Winter as Alais Capet and Look Back in Anger as Alison. She also appeared in Children of a Lesser God and The Taming of the Shrew.
In 2007, she won a Canadian Comedy Award for her performance in the short film Breakdown. She was named Woman of the Year by ACTRA in 2015. Over her long career, she has received thirteen award nominations and secured six wins.
Birthday and age
Amanda Tapping was born on August 28, 1965, which makes Amanda 61 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Amanda shares the date with 60 other famous people.
Explore more
