What Happened To The Cast Of Stargate SG-1?

What do you do when the last spinoff of your favorite Canadian sci-fi show ended ages ago and you’ve worn out your DVD box set rewatching it? If you’re as obsessive as I am about my favorite franchises, you might just want to catch up with all the show’s stars in their most recent projects. Luckily, when it comes to the cast of “Stargate SG-1,” there are plenty of great post-series movies and shows to choose from.

The long-running “Stargate” saga, based on Roland Emmerich’s 1994 movie, has fizzled out a bit in recent years, due in part to apparently complicated rights issues. At its height, the franchise included several TV shows and movies, plus novels, comic books, games, and a web series. None of them were quite as beloved as “Stargate SG-1,” which was nominated for nine Emmys and kick-started the careers of several of its stars. Others involved in the series were already seasoned actors by their “Stargate” years, but each and every one of them is now famous to sci-fi fans worldwide. Here’s what they’ve been up to since the show ended.

Former “MacGyver” star Richard Dean Anderson found another career-defining role decades after his first as Major General Jack O’Neill in “Stargate SG-1.” After the show ended, Anderson appeared in several more “Stargate” properties, including “Stargate Atlantis,” “Stargate Universe,” and the 2013 video game “Stargate SG-1: Unleashed.” By the time he took the Jack role, Anderson had already stopped appearing in films, and he’s essentially retired now, having not appeared in any TV shows since a guest spot on the excellent comedy “Don’t Trust the B**** in Apt. 23” a decade ago.

Post-“Stargate,” Anderson also popped up in the sitcom “Raising Hope” and the legal comedy “Fairly Legal.” During his time in the spotlight, he also supported several charities, worked as a producer, and created the production company Gekko Film Corp. According to Facts Verse, Anderson retired both because he was burnt out, and because he became a father and wanted to spend more time with family.

While Anderson appeared on the comedy show “Raising Hope,” his co-star Michael Shanks took a post-“Stargate” role on the entirely unrelated ghost-filled medical show “Saving Hope,” which ran for five seasons. The Canadian actor who played Daniel Jackson in “Stargate: SG-1” also appeared in the limited series “Unspeakable,” about a scandal involving HIV/AIDS appearing in Canadian blood banks. 

Some other notable roles Shanks has had include a stint as Hawkman on “Smallville,” a part on Netflix’s “Altered Carbon,” and appearances in a couple of Christmas movies. Shanks was also a director and co-producer on “Saving Hope,” and has worked as a stage actor as well. Like other actors on this list, Shanks returned to the “Stargate” universe after the flagship show ended. The show also changed his life in unexpected ways: he has a daughter with costar Vaitiare Bandera and is married to another “SG-1” castmate, Lexa Doig.

Amanda Tapping played one of the most important characters in the “Stargate” universe, Dr. Sam Carter, across several shows and movies. She tried her hand at directing back in the “SG-1” days and has since become nearly as prolific behind the camera as in front of it. Her directorial credits include “The Magicians,” “Supernatural,” “Anne with an E,” “The 100,” and “Dead Boy Detectives,” among other titles.

On the acting front, Tapping has had major roles in a few shows since the “Stargate” TV universe wrapped up. She played Naomi in the latter seasons of “Supernatural,” took another starring role as a sci-fi doctor in the series “Sanctuary,” and narrated “Riese: Kingdom Falling.” Tapping has been given several awards for her work over the years, including a Saturn Award and an award from the Directors Guild of Canada. In 2013, Tapping spoke up to destigmatize conversations around experiencing miscarriages, revealing to Vancouver is Awesome that she survived eight pregnancy losses. Tapping gave birth to her daughter Olivia in 2005.

Actor Christopher Judge may be open to someone else taking over the Teal’c role someday, but he remains a fan favorite from the original “Stargate SG-1” lineup. His most famous post-“Stargate” role came via an entirely different medium, as he’s known for portraying Kratos in two of the bloody “God of War” games. His filmography ranges from acclaimed (“The Dark Knight Rises”) to campy (“Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!”), and he’s continued to act on TV as well, albeit mostly in voice roles. Some of his recent performances can be heard on “Final Space” and “Wacky Races.”

In 2021, Polygon reported that the next “God of War” game was delayed out of respect for Judge’s health, as the actor told fans he had to recover from back surgery, knee surgery, and dual hip replacements. Judge ended up winning a BAFTA for his turn in “God of War: Ragnarok.” He’s also worked as a screenwriter, and his pilot “Rage of Angels” was picked up by Starz in 2010, though it was apparently never made.

Multi-talented character actor Don S. Davis died before “Stargate SG-1” wrapped for good and was honored in the show with a spaceship named after his character, George Hammond. Before he succumbed to a fatal heart attack, Davis led a decades-long career in Hollywood, making an impression not just in “Stargate,” but in 20th-century mainstays “Twin Peaks” and “21 Jump Street,” plus movies like “Hook,” “Con Air,” and “A League of Their Own.” He also had a brief but memorable part in “The X-Files,” playing Agent Scully’s ill-fated father.

Before becoming an actor, Davis was a U.S. Army Captain, a job that he once said prepared him for roles like that of Hammond. He was also a professor at the University of British Columbia in the ’80s, and was an artist, too. Davis made paintings and sculptures in his later years, according to his Vancouver Sun obituary.

Former child star Corin Nemec appeared in two seasons of “Stargate SG-1” as Jonas Quinn, a temporary replacement for Shanks’ Daniel. He continues to act regularly today, most notably in genre movies like “Run Hide Fight,” “Lake Placid Vs. Anaconda,” “Sand Sharks,” and “Rottentail.” He also continues to corner the market on shows that start with “Star,” having appeared in both “Star Trek: Renegades” and the web series “Star-ving.” His other post-“Stargate” TV roles include spots in “Supernatural” and “Ghost Whisperer.”

According to GateWorld, Nemec was in a pretty horrific boating accident while on production in Belize, and recovered after undergoing emergency surgery and blood transfusions. “Everyone on board that boat, including the gentlemen working for the Coast Guard … everyone is lucky to be alive,” he reportedly said at the time. Nemec has worked as a producer, and in 2022 he moved to Tampa to produce indie movies, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Actor Ben Browder played latter-season addition Cameron Mitchell in “Stargate SG-1,” and was nominated for a Saturn Award for his performance. He reprised the role in two “Stargate” movies but didn’t return in the original series’ follow-up shows. He has been busy, however, popping up in shows like “Doctor Who” and “Arrow,” plus films like “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and the Bigfoot horror flick “Hoax.” Browder executive produced the 2014 horror movie “Dead Still,” and directed the 2017 slasher “Bad Kids of Crestview Academy.”

Browder has also done voice work for the video games “Farscape” and “Call of Duty: Black Ops III.” He most recently appeared in the ABC rescue drama “Station 19,” playing a fire captain. His other recent TV credits include guest spots on “S.W.A.T.,” “Criminal Minds,” and “All Rise.” Before becoming a screen actor, Browder was an award-winning college football player and studied psychology, according to a biography by Mark Kielar and Rita Lewis.

One of the most easily recognizable “Stargate” alums, Beau Bridges has had a considerable career both before and after playing Major General Hank Landry on the sci-fi series. In the years since it went off the air, some of his most high-profile turns have been in Oscar-nominated films like “The Descendants” and “One Night In Miami…” He’s also had lots of major roles in TV shows, including the Netflix thriller “Bloodline,” Showtime’s cult favorite “Masters of Sex,” and the CBS sitcom “The Millers.”

Bridges, who is the brother of actor Jeff Bridges, has had a decorated career in show biz. He’s won three Emmys and a Grammy, and he’s got his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Plenty of his most famous work (“The Fabulous Baker Boys,” “Norma Rae”) came before “Stargate” and shouldn’t be missed, but he still continues to act, most recently appearing in the new “Matlock” show on CBS.

A familiar face for sci-fi and gaming fans everywhere, Australian actress Claudia Black’s turn as Vala Mal Doran is just one line on her great genre resume. Before “Stargate,” she starred in “Farscape,” and afterward she appeared in shows like the “Star Wars” spinoff “Ahsoka,” nerd culture favorite “Rick & Morty,” the epidemic drama “Containment,” the reboot series “Roswell, New Mexico,” the vampire drama “The Originals,” and the animated astronaut saga “Final Space.”

Plenty of Black’s work can be heard and not seen, as she’s the voice actor behind Chloe Frazer from the “Uncharted” video game series, Cydaea from “Diablo III,” Morrigan from “Dragon Age: Origins,” and many more standouts. She’s done voice work for a few movies including “Rango,” and has won several awards for her voiceover accomplishments. In 2018, Black was nominated for a BAFTA for her contributions to “Uncharted: The Last Legacy.” Most recently, she’s reprising her role as Morrigan in the wonderfully queer new “Dragon Age” game, subtitled “The Veilguard.”