1 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:08,159 (narrator) When SG-1 needs an expert on travelling through time and space,... 2 00:00:08,279 --> 00:00:12,034 ..they turn to the best, the brightest... and the most beautiful. 3 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:14,390 But don't let this officer's looks fool you. 4 00:00:14,519 --> 00:00:19,355 l take it you're Colonel O'Neill. Captain Samantha Carter reporting, sir. 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,833 Amanda Tapping as Samantha Carter... 6 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,553 She couldn't be more perfect for the part,... 7 00:00:26,679 --> 00:00:30,593 ..because we needed a woman who could be very strong,... 8 00:00:31,479 --> 00:00:33,948 ..who you could buy as a soldier,... 9 00:00:35,079 --> 00:00:38,755 ..who's had combat training and has actually been in wars,... 10 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,554 ..and who is a brilliant scientist... 11 00:00:43,799 --> 00:00:45,835 ..and who is a beautiful woman. 12 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:50,511 Finding an actress that can do all three of those convincingly is very difficult. 13 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,107 l memorised your report from the first mission. 14 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:55,673 l've been preparing for this all my life. 15 00:00:55,799 --> 00:00:57,518 l didn't realise when l began... 16 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:01,268 ..that it was gonna be such an action-adventure sci-fi show. 17 00:01:01,399 --> 00:01:04,676 l thought it was gonna be more intellectually based... 18 00:01:04,799 --> 00:01:07,359 ..in terms of my character being the scientist,... 19 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,710 ..and l'd be struggling with great scientific problems. 20 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,468 But now on the show... lt's become this great physical show for me,... 21 00:01:14,599 --> 00:01:17,433 ..which l never imagined myself doing. 22 00:01:17,599 --> 00:01:20,319 - Come on, let's move! - Come on, come on! 23 00:01:20,439 --> 00:01:21,509 Go, go! 24 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:23,471 So for me that's a great challenge. 25 00:01:23,599 --> 00:01:26,671 lt's also a great gift to be given something like this. 26 00:01:26,799 --> 00:01:29,917 As a woman, especially, to be given this. 27 00:01:32,879 --> 00:01:34,790 We kicked their asses. 28 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:37,558 They had asses? 29 00:01:37,799 --> 00:01:41,793 For me, this character is a cross between Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson. 30 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:44,194 She's the perfect hybrid of these two men. 31 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:48,233 She's got a military base, is an air force captain, fought in the Gulf War... 32 00:01:48,359 --> 00:01:52,114 Have you ever pulled out of a simulated bombing run at 8-plus g's? 33 00:01:52,239 --> 00:01:53,593 Yes. 34 00:01:53,719 --> 00:01:58,031 As a theoretical astrophysicist, her scientific background is very strong. 35 00:01:58,159 --> 00:02:03,917 Look at this. You can actually see the fluctuations in the event horizon. 36 00:02:05,159 --> 00:02:07,151 So she skirts this line,... 37 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,237 ..which for me creates great conflict, because it's... 38 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:12,111 ..do l go the scientific route... 39 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:14,195 ..or do l stick with military protocol? 40 00:02:14,319 --> 00:02:19,394 So she gets to play opposite both men and have strengths with each of them. 41 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,318 l'm an air force officer just like you are, Colonel. 42 00:02:22,439 --> 00:02:26,671 And just because my reproductive organs are on the inside instead of the outside... 43 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:30,075 ..doesn't mean l can't handle whatever you can handle. 44 00:02:30,199 --> 00:02:34,033 (narrator) ln the pilot episode, the writers had Amanda poke fun... 45 00:02:34,159 --> 00:02:37,038 ..at Richard Dean Anderson's former television series. 46 00:02:37,159 --> 00:02:39,674 lt took us 1 5 years and three supercomputers... 47 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,268 ..to MacGyver a system for the gate on Earth. 48 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,675 (narrator) ln reality, she has only praise for her co-star. 49 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,076 He's lovely to work with. He's got a great sense of humour. 50 00:02:49,199 --> 00:02:50,951 He's very generous and he's fun... 51 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:54,675 ..and, having had the amount of experience that he's had on series,... 52 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:59,475 ..he really looks out for us and knows when to fight and knows when not to. 53 00:02:59,599 --> 00:03:02,353 And, you know, he's our champion of causes. 54 00:03:02,479 --> 00:03:04,835 And he's a lovely man. He really is. 55 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:09,996 What you doin'? 56 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:14,431 So l think we're all very lucky. Not only that, but we have a great crew. 57 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,269 And l think the sense of humour on this show is what keeps us going,... 58 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,996 ..cos we work really long hours and really long days and it's a huge show. 59 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,474 But everyone has a great sense of humour. 60 00:03:25,599 --> 00:03:27,477 (narrator) ln ''Point of View''... 61 00:03:27,599 --> 00:03:32,719 ..Amanda got the opportunity to play her double, thanks to a bizarre twist of fate. 62 00:03:33,479 --> 00:03:36,472 - We made a good team, Major. - Yeah, we did, Doctor. 63 00:03:36,599 --> 00:03:39,159 Plus your hair's kinda grown on me. 64 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:40,837 Pardon the pun. 65 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:43,155 This should be a show that entertains... 66 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,908 ..and allows people to think beyond what they normally think about. 67 00:03:47,039 --> 00:03:49,872 Maybe take you to a different place and make you ask: 68 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:51,955 ''ls that possible?'' Yeah, it is. 69 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:53,348 (director) And action! 70 00:03:53,479 --> 00:03:56,437 (narrator) A series with high technical demands... 71 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:58,198 ..can take its toll on actors. 72 00:03:58,319 --> 00:04:00,355 But Amanda loves the challenge. 73 00:04:00,479 --> 00:04:04,313 The hard part on a film is that you really can't fake anything out,... 74 00:04:04,439 --> 00:04:06,078 ..because the camera sees it. 75 00:04:06,199 --> 00:04:08,235 So you just sort of have to jump in,... 76 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,478 ..jump into the puddle and let it happen to you. Believe it. 77 00:04:12,599 --> 00:04:16,911 lt's hard, certainly, especially on a set this huge, with this many people,... 78 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,190 ..to sort of let everything go, let your logical side go,... 79 00:04:20,319 --> 00:04:24,392 ..and go ''OK, we've just come to this planet inhabited by gnomes.'' 80 00:04:24,519 --> 00:04:26,670 But you have to believe it. 81 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,428 For the sake of the Asgard, we must not fail. 82 00:04:31,319 --> 00:04:32,718 No pressure. 83 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:36,149 Just to act in front of a blue screen is kinda weird,... 84 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:38,918 ..but you just have to let it go. 85 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,555 You have to find that part of yourself that believes it. 86 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:47,117 That ''little kid'' part of yourself, almost. l mean, even doing the war scenes. 87 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,869 ln the pilot, we had these big shoot-'em-up bombs going off. 88 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,117 You know, l turned to Michael Shanks and l said: 89 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:58,711 ''This is just like being a kid, except we're getting paid to play war. You know?'' 90 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:03,197 ''And our guns look better than the sticks we used to carry around the alleyways.'' 91 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,831 Colonel, we're sitting ducks here! 92 00:05:10,959 --> 00:05:12,790 (narrator) lf given the chance,... 93 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,036 ..would Amanda embark on a real journey to worlds unknown? 94 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,958 lf they found a Stargate, would l go through it? Yes. 95 00:05:19,079 --> 00:05:22,197 lt would be amazing. l'm sure a lot of people wouldn't,... 96 00:05:22,319 --> 00:05:25,072 ..but certainly l would. l'd jump at the chance.