Amanda Tapping stars, produces, AND directs in Syfy’s “Sanctuary”. How on earth does she juggle all those hats?
Hat 1: Starring as Dr. Helen Magnus
Tapping plays Dr. Helen Magnus in “Sanctuary”, a scientist and protector of ‘abnormals’ who also happens to be immortal. Best known as Col. Samantha Carter on Stargate: SG-1, Tapping set out to make her “Sanctuary” character as different as she could to differentiate Helen from Sam:
“I dyed my hair and changed my accent and made it so that I don’t look at all like Carter. I needed to reinvent myself as an artist, so it was a challenge. I had to have more eccentricities and walk with stilettos.”
Apparently Tapping’s efforts worked! Martin Wood talks about fan reaction to Tapping as Dr. Magnus:
“… there are a number of people I’ve met going to conventions who said they did not realize at first that she was the same person as Dr. Magnus on Sanctuary.”
(above: Tapping as Col. Samantha Carter on Stargate SG-1 LEFT,Col. Samantha Carter again on Stargate: Atlantis CENTER, and as Dr. Helen Magnus RIGHT)
Hat 2: Executive producing “Sanctuary”
Tapping is the executive producer of her show, “Sanctuary” along with Martin Wood and Damian Kindler. I can’t even imagine what her duties as an executive producer are here! The scope of her work must be astonishing.
Hat 3: Directing “Sanctuary”
Tapping’s status as executive producer gives her the latitude to go behind the camera to direct. She directed one ep of SG-1 (“Resurrection”), but didn’t get the chance to direct again until “Sanctuary”. Tapping will direct the 7th ep called “Veritas” in the upcoming second season. She talks about directing in an interview with ScifiWire:
“It was an appropriate episode for me to direct; I think that they must have planned it that way. It was perhaps [director and executive producer] Martin’s [Wood] way of torturing me.”
Martin Wood’s intention is not to torture Tapping, but would ‘let her direct every other episode if he could’. Wood is encouraging Tapping to direct:
“She does some incredible work, and I find that her style is very close to mine.”
A little about “Veritas”: The ep was written by Alan McCullough, who has three eps of the first season of Sanctuary under his belt as well as writing for Stargate Atlantis and SG-1. In “Veritas” Dr. Magnus’ normal with-it demeanor slowly devolves into insanity. Tapping describes her challenge in acting and directing this episode:
“I guess I felt like I was going a little crazy. I kept thinking, ‘Am I nuts wanting to direct this?’ I didn’t want to mess it up. It’s about Magnus going crazy, going completely off the rail.”
Originally, this ep was to be light on Tapping’s character, but as the storyline progressed, Magnus became front-and-center. Wood explains:
“We forced her to do perhaps one of the hardest things to do, because if she was just playing her character regularly, it would have been easy, but this time she had to lose it, and she was doing it without supervision,” Wood said. “No one was telling her if it was far enough or too far, or how much she should push it.”
Damian Kindler, the show’s co-creator and executive producer is also in awe of Tapping:
“She just turned in her episode after editing it herself, too, and it just blew us away. It was magnificent. She did an absolutely first-class job and proved she is a skillful shot-maker, a good director and editor and a clever and intuitive person. If she every wanted to do a career shift, she would make a great director… If we could clone Amanda, we would need four of her.”
Look for the first season of Sanctuary to be out on a 4 disc DVD set out today.
Sanctuary returns with the second season on Oct. 9 and airs Fridays at 10/9pm C.
Reminder: Tapping will also make a guest appearance in the premiere of Stargate Universe, on Oct. 2 at 9/8pm C.
