Amanda Tapping didn’t become a household name just because she’s able to make the tough-as-nails soldier work alongside the brilliant scientist as Major Samantha Carter on Stargate: SG1 (and later, on Stargate: Atlantis). Oh no, Amanda Tapping made the character work because besides being very a talented actress, Amanda Tapping is also a major sci-fi babe.

Here’s a brief bio on Amanda Tapping (via):

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 three 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 is best known for her portrayal of Samantha Carter, in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, which debuted in 1997. She is currently taking the place of Torri Higginson on Stargate Atlantis, as the Atlantis expedition commander.

As of 2004, Amanda lives with her husband, Alan Kovacs, in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has one daughter, Olivia B., born on March 22, 2005. Tapping had 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.