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Amanda Tapping Interview
At the end of the seasons, Amanda Tapping has made herself known to be one of the leading characters of the series Stargate SG-1. Today, the character of Samantha Carter is definatly one of the most popular of the series. Series Mag met this 37-year-old actress to whom everything seems successful at both a professional and personal level Q1: Michael Shanks, who played the role of Daniel Jackson, has left the series for good at the end of Season 5. How did you feel about his departure. Amanda: We all regret the departure of Michael, but we do understand that he wanted to do something else. It's hard not to have him on my side anymore. We've had a lot of good moments together... The two last episodes we shot with him were very emotional. Christopher Judge (Teal'c) and I were so emotional that we couldn't look at each other without getting tears in our eyes. Sometimes we started crying during a scene for no reason. In the end, we spent our last days (moments) with Michael at his place, drinking tea and nibbling cookies. We found it difficult to contain our tears. It was very hard. Q2: What can we expect for the sixth season of the series? Amanda: The sixth season will probably be the last one. To be honest, we didn't expect the series to last so long, because the producers announced that they didn't want to continue after the fifth season. We were going to shoot a film instead, which eventually didn't happen. We, the actors, are always the last to know, about these things. What will happen next in the sixth season, will be very different, of course, because of the departure of Michael. There will be a new character replacing him, played by Corin Nemec (known from the series "Parker Lewis"). Q3: If you could change something of your character, what would it be? Amanda:First of all, I would want the writers to give Sam a boyfriend who stays alive! (laughs) It's kinda frustrating to always be the cursed widow on the series. That is why I often ask the producers to develope a relationship between Teal'c and Sam. We have shot scenes where our two characters got closer, but they were cut during editing. That really disappointed me because in that scene they held each other close. On the other hand, I would love Sam to have more of a sense of humor when, for instance, she finds herself in a difficult situation. Q4: What is the generale mood on the set? Amanda: We are continously laughing. The mood is always relaxed and we always find a reason to have fun. I don't remember one day of shooting when I didn't break into a laugh. About the humor in the series, it's Richard who insisted with the producers that Stargate 'not become too serious. Without that, I don't think the series would have lasted so long. Q5: You expressed on several occasions your desire to do an episode in the series. Why hasn't that been done yet?" Amanda: It's true that I've been dying to do it for a long time. I've always dreamed about directing an episode in which the team would find themselves on a planet inhabited by women. But the producers obviously don't want me as a director.(laughs)They simply refused my request. I think they're most concerned about having a woman behind the camera. It's really a shame, because I'm sure I could do such a thing. Q6: What did you study before Stargate? Amanda: I've done a lot of Theatre. I attended at Windsor School of Dramatic Art. When I left, I swore I would never, oh that word "never", do television. I only wanted to act on stage, because I thought that doing television was like prostituting oneself. Then I realized that I had to earn a living, so my agent got me roles in advertisements. Then I began doing TV miniseries, and the roles I got were progressively more important. However, my dream is to do theater again. I would love to get on a stage of a theater on Broadway or in London... Q7: You've been married to the same man for eight years. Is this a story of love with no clouds? Amanda: Yes, our marriage is marvelous. Allan, my husband, is a fantastic man. When I got the role of Sam in "Stargate," he gave up everything to follow me. He closed his company and joined me in Vancouver, where shooting takes place. I would definatly have done the same for him.... I would love to have a child with him, but my work in the series takes too much time. But as soon as Stargate is finished, I think we'll start that project. |
