Stargate: 10 Behind The Scenes Secrets You Never Knew About Children Of The Gods

9. The Studio Wanted A Different Type Of Actress For Samantha Carter

Stargate Carter
MGM

The initial pitch for the character who would become Samantha Carter was quite different from what the audience ended up seeing. First of all, although she was always a serving member of the military, she was to have been very disdainful of the service. Her true passion was in theoretical astrophysics, which did manage to remain part of the character, to a point.

She was written as 'pushy' and abrasive toward O'Neill and Jackson. The studio was also hesitant to hire Amanda Tapping. According to Jonathan Glassner, it was far more interested in hiring an actress based on her physical attributes. He said that they had their eyes on another actress, one who was closer to the typical beauty that would be seen in Hollywood films.

Tapping wowed Glassner and Wright when she came in to read for the part and put her own spin on Carter straight away. She saw the potential for humour in the part, adding this to her audition. It secured her the role. While some of her lines in Children Of The Gods are truly dreadful, such as the reproductive organs gag, she is immediately established as one of the major players.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"