If there�s one thing that Stargate SG-1�s Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter can say about her job it�s that it�s never boring. Being shot at, possessed, replicated, kidnapped and having her mind probed are just a few of the dangers that go along with protecting Earth and, on occasion, the galaxy from alien incursions. Needless to say, the colonel isn�t quite the same person who first stepped through the Stargate eight years ago, and neither is the actress who plays her, Amanda Tapping.

�We�ve all grown up with this series,� muses Tapping. �Everyone in the cast has experienced major life changes and that, in turn, has changed our characters. Sam Carter has come into her own. She�s a better woman and person as well as more comfortable with herself than she ever was, and so am I, Amanda. I�m far stronger than I used to be, and I think I owe a lot of that to playing this character and working in such a supportive environment.

�I just realized that if we do another year of Stargate, I�ll have worked on this show for almost a decade. That�s a big chunk of a person�s life, and a major growing spurt. I�ll look at Sam in those early episodes and think, �God, she was so na�ve and young. Look at that youthful face and those rosy cheeks,�� chuckles the actress.

While trying to save the life of General O�Neill at the start of Stargate�s eighth season, the newly-promoted Colonel Carter is kidnapped by one of the Human-looking Replicators, Fifth (Patrick Currie). She eventually persuades Fifth to release her, but before doing so, and unbeknownst to her, he creates a Replicator Carter. The real Carter comes face to face with her mechanical counterpart in the episode Gemini, which required Tapping to play both versions of her character.

�One of the biggest challenges was trying to create subtle differences between the two Carters,� explains the actress. �They have the same consciousness, memories and emotional base but, in my opinion, a different heart, which is how I chose to play it. Repli-Carter was created by Fifth and spent most of her time with him, so she�s a bit harder and quite duplicitous. I actually think my face looked slightly different as Repli-Carter because of the set of my jaw and other little things that I intentionally did.

�Another challenge was doing long wordy scenes �opposite myself�, and I�m so hard to work with. I mean, what a pain in the ass,� laughs Tapping. �I had fun, but it was a tough shoot. Gemini is probably the hardest episode I�ve done in these eight years. It was physically and emotionally demanding and required and a great deal of homework. That said, I think the pay-off was worth it. It turned out to be a neat episode.�

During part of her imprisonment by Fifth, Carter was tricked into thinking that she was living an idyllic life with her new boyfriend, Pete Shanahan (David DeLuise). The couple�s relationship is touched upon in a much more real sense later on this season in Affinity and Threads. �I like the fact that Sam has an adult, fully functioning relationship with a man who�s not someone she works with,� says Tapping. �As a whole it helps round out her character and makes her better at what she does because her focus is more diffused. Sam�s thought pattern isn�t so linear. She�s become more open-minded and that can only benefit her.

�All those are aspects of the Sam/Pete relationship that I like. I�m not sure, though, if they�re meant for each other. Yes, Pete is a wonderful man for her to grow with but as far as being Mr Right, I don�t know. I don�t want to keep hanging a lantern on, �Oh, what about O�Neill,� but that�s still there. If Sam�s to be completely honest with this man who she�s falling in love with, she needs to be just as up front with herself. Everything ends up coming to a head and Sam must make a big decision. However, is she ready to make that decision? It gets kind of intense, so be sure to stay tuned to see what happens.�

Tapping promises additional twists and turns with Carter�s story arc as Stargate�s eighth season continues to unfold. �There are some big goings-on in the two-part episode Reckoning as well as Threads, all three of which blend into each other in many ways,� notes the actress. �I had the opportunity to work again with Carmen Argenziano, who plays Sam�s father, Jacob Carter. Honestly, I can�t say enough good things about Carmen. He�s such a nice man. The two of us did some very challenging and moving scenes together involving his character.

�Lots of things happen in our season finale, Moebius, in which I play an alternate version of Sam from a different timeline. It�s a terrific concept and well-written but at times was a little confusing to shoot. All I know is that when I wore the other Sam�s costume I had to be slightly dorkier,� chuckles the actress.

In between her work this past year on Stargate, Tapping served as host for 10 episodes of the new Sci-Fi Channel series Proof Positive. Prior to that, she shot a cameo as Lady Elfarren in Sci-Fi�s recently aired mini-series Legend of Earthsea. �I wore the most phenomenal costume and did all my work against a green screen,� she says. �My participation in it was tiny but I was still proud to be a part of it because it was a really amazing project.�

Although the actress is looking forward to a ninth season of Stargate, her initial work on the show is likely to be less than in previous years. �I�m pregnant,� enthuses Tapping. �God willing and everything goes well, I�ll give birth on March 15th. We usually start filming the new season around the end of February/beginning of March, so I don�t know exactly how we�ll handle things. I�ll keep you posted,� she says with a smile.

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TV Zone Stargate Special #61

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