INTERVIEW: Amanda Tapping (Samantha Carter)

[ssx001]

Thanks Gateworld for ruining a good interview with AT by bringing religion into it.

I don't want to know that religion is important to you!

I don't want to know whether Sam prays or not.

I'm sure AT was just being nice with her response to your religious questions.

Bottom line.....leave religion out of Stargate and do proper interviews in future!

[Agent_Dark]

ok...

But considering the overt religous tones of the Ori this season, I think thats a bit of a pointless thing to say...

[lionel_pendergast_rocks]

Hmm, well, its a shame that you have to think religion ruins everything. I'm not religious myself, but ok.

I actually liked the interview.

[Osiris-RA]

I think it's cool she thinks Sam prays. I'm sure Sam was praying to get the heck out of Sokar when she was being force fed with Sokar's Blood. Even if I didn't believe in God, I'd be praying to someone at that point.

[Dromag67]

Thanks Gateworld for ruining a good interview with AT by bringing religion into it.

I don't want to know that religion is important to you!

I don't want to know whether Sam prays or not.

I'm sure AT was just being nice with her response to your religious questions.

Bottom line.....leave religion out of Stargate and do proper interviews in future!

So a couple questions ruined the entire interview?

Wow....

No comment...

[jonno]

Thanks Gateworld for ruining a good interview with AT by bringing religion into it.

I don't want to know that religion is important to you!

I don't want to know whether Sam prays or not.

I'm sure AT was just being nice with her response to your religious questions.

Bottom line.....leave religion out of Stargate and do proper interviews in future!

hmm ... i appreciate that it's your opinion, and clearly this is an important issue for you.

All i can say is that, for me it wasn't an issue, and in fact gave an insight to how the character is played, giving Sam more depth.

[AGateFan]

hmm ... i appreciate that it's your opinion, and clearly this is an important issue for you.

All i can say is that, for me it wasn't an issue, and in fact gave an insight to how the character is played, giving Sam more depth.

Oddly (especially since I am not religious myself) I always assumed Carter was religious just from the exchange she had with Teal'c in THRESHOLD.
Something about him asking her how she would feel if he questioned her God.

Doesn't change my opinion of the actor or the character, but I can see how it would put people off. Though, to be honest, I am curious to know the answer about Dr Jackson. For some reason I always assumed he was an atheist or angostic...again it wouldnt matter, I am just curious.

[Deevil]

It's always interesting to get the actors take on the characters; and what they think the characters are or do off screen. Backstory is always interesting.

The religious question was not out of place, 'specially considering the Ori, and hell the Gould. The show has always dealt with false Gods and fanatism within the ranks. It would always have to play on their minds whether or not 'God' exists after all they have seen. It's interesting that Amanda believes that Sam still has faith after all that has happened, and her reasons for it.

If you didn't like it, that's your choice, but there were many other questions not pertaining to religion asked.

[Seshat]

Interesting...I hadn't read the interview until I saw this thread mention it, so I popped off to have a read.

I wasn't offended by the religion question. (I'm an atheist, btw.) Didn't seem to me that AT was bothered either. (After all, the woman brought up the subject of breastfeeding herself and thus she does come across as being very open to most any type of question.)

If you look at the story of Stargate, religion and the belief/disbelief in god(s) DOES play an important part, from the original goa'uld all the way through to the Ori now. I've seen several threads where the possible religious beliefs of the various characters were discussed. So asking AT if Sam believes in God doesn't seem farfetched to me. I've often wondered what kind of backstories/background the writers had invented for the characters. I always assumed Daniel was agnostic, for example, because of various comments he's made, and that Mitchell was a Christian because of his. Doesn't mean I'm right, of course, it just adds a little more depth to the character when you try to figure out more about what makes them tick.

Besides, the interviewer was not asking if AT believed in God or not. Only if her character did. That is acceptable, IMO.

[Erised]

I don't want to know that religion is important to you!

I don't want to know whether Sam prays or not.

Then you aren't very interested in either, Sam or Amanda, if you say such things. I am an athiest myself, but I thought it was nice to know what Amanda and her character believe in.

ps. I don't even know why you bothered reading the interview if you don't want to know as much as possible about her.

[ssx001]

Then you aren't very interested in either, Sam or Amanda, if you say such things. I am an athiest myself, but I thought it was nice to know what Amanda and her character believe in.

ps. I don't even know why you bothered reading the interview if you don't want to know as much as possible about her.

I'm not interested in Sam or Amanda if she isn't religious? I'm not sure where you can make a connection there?

I love the series. I think Amanda Tapping's role (as are all the cast of Stargate) is brilliantly written. If Amanda Tapping was never prompted to mention her religion and just came out in an interview and said it then I'd not feel any less of her (or her character) than I do now.

What got me with the Gateworld interview was the interviewer saying "GW: Well, I always felt that and I just wanted your take on that because that's something very important in my life.".

Fair enough if the interviewer asked her the question (well....it was more of a statement about what they like in her role)....but I think that it wasn;t necessary to write about it, nor bring it to everyone's attention on Gateworld, just because the interviewer is religious. Again.....it's not what Amanda said...it was the interviewer. I've nothing against religious people....only those who push their beliefs onto others.

[Seshat]

I love the series. I think Amanda Tapping's role (as are all the cast of Stargate) is brilliantly written. If Amanda Tapping was never prompted to mention her religion and just came out in an interview and said it then I'd not feel any less of her (or her character) than I do now.

What got me with the Gateworld interview was the interviewer saying "GW: Well, I always felt that and I just wanted your take on that because that's something very important in my life.".

Fair enough if the interviewer asked her the question (well....it was more of a statement about what they like in her role)....but I think that it wasn;t necessary to write about it, nor bring it to everyone's attention on Gateworld, just because the interviewer is religious. Again.....it's not what Amanda said...it was the interviewer. I've nothing against religious people....only those who push their beliefs onto others.

Again, the interviewer asked if CARTER believed in God, he didn't ask if Amanda did. How the actor views their character is interesting to me.

Okay, so a little of interviewer's own views were stated, which one does not usually expect, but hey, I can overlook that. IMO it didn't seem to affect the interview or the answers that were given. And if you think about it, lots of interviewers inject their own opinions and interests into their questions. They're just people, too.

[SG1Poz]

Thanks Gateworld for ruining a good interview with AT by bringing religion into it.

I don't want to know that religion is important to you!

I don't want to know whether Sam prays or not.

I'm sure AT was just being nice with her response to your religious questions.

Bottom line.....leave religion out of Stargate and do proper interviews in future!

I thought David did an excellent job with the questions. AT didn't hesitate for a second to answer his question which leads me to believe it didn't bother her in the least.
As others have said, there has been countless times in the past 9 years where the name God was mentioned (Goaulds and Ori's) and one episode (Demons) even centers around Christianity.
So chill out. I've lurked here and at other forums to see religous threads/ posts like this turn into extremely nasty arguments. I mean really, look at our world, sadly to say, people in RL kill each other over religion.
A prayer doesn't hurt anyone, a gun or bomb does.

[David]

Bottom line.....leave religion out of Stargate and do proper interviews in future!

The only logical explanation I can think of is this reader must not have seen Season Nine yet. Boy, is he/she going to be dissapointed.

Amanda's personal religious beliefs are ones that I very much think are none of our business. In fact I attended a Gatecon where an audience person was bold enough to ask about her religion or faith, and I involuntarily cringed. That's none of our business to know. Sam, however, we know intimately, and since the character -- and the series -- is knee deep in a holy war that will only get more intense, I felt it was the perfect time to ask if Sam was a spiritual person or not. If Amanda feels comfortable with throwing something in about her personal beleifs, who am I to stop her? But it's pretty clear in the question: Does Carter believe in God?

I am truly sorry if this topic was offensive to you, but if you have seen Season Nine and don't see the connection, well .. like the other poster said, "no comment.

As for extracting religious topics entirely from future GateWorld inteviews (or at least my interviews & other field work), sorry. Just warning you now. If there are strands of legitimacy in asking such a question (such as the main arc of this season) then I'm going to go for it.

A lot of people have thrown this exact question and Amanda's answer back and forth about it, for better and for worse. It's got people talking and asking serious, intelligent questions (yes, they are out there). Posing fascinating thoughts and conclusions. That's how I know I've done my job.

[Albion]

Sorry, double post.

Albion