What The Cast Of Stargate: Atlantis Is Doing Today

The 1994 sci-fi film Stargate kicked off a franchise that would keep fans glued to their seats for decades. Stargate Atlantis was developed as a spin-off of Stargate SG-1. The series followed the events that occurred after the crew of SG-1 located an outpost in Antarctica that was actually built by an alien species called the "Ancients." When the mysterious city of Atlantis, another creation of the Ancients, is subsequently discovered, Stargate Command sends in a crew to explore it — and thus, Stargate Atlantis was born.

But this spin-off had its own unique appeal. It was followed up by the premiere of a new series, Stargate Universe, yet this iteration didn't prove to be quite as successful. It's been a little over a decade since the series finale of Atlantis aired, and fans still remember this show fondly. From writing screenplays to directing films to working as stunt doubles, the cast members have all taken their careers in interesting directions. Here's how your favorite actors have fared since saying goodbye to Stargate Atlantis.

Joe Flanigan played Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, who was recruited to investigate Atlantis because of his thorough understanding of the technology used by the Ancients. He is eventually promoted to the commander position for the military contingent of the Atlantis Expedition. He always stayed calm under pressure, making him an effective leader.

After the Atlantis finale, Flanigan mainly took on guest roles on other popular TV series, including shows like Warehouse 13 and Fringe. From 2013 through 2016, Flanigan took a three-year hiatus, but he eventually returned to acting to play Trevor in the film The Bandit Hound. In 2019, he began playing Dr. Neil Byrne on the famous, long-running soap opera General Hospital. And he's currently hard at work on the film Room 19, a suspenseful movie which tells the story of a father in mourning who returns to the hotel where his daughter died and must untangle the mystery behind her passing. 

In Stargate Atlantis, Rachel Luttrell played Teyla Emmagan, the leader of a race of humans known as the Athosians. These human beings are natives of the Pegasus Galaxy, so Teyla's alliance with the Atlantis Expedition crew serves them well.

Shortly after her time on Atlantis ended, Luttrell played Candace in the sci-fi film Hardwired. More recently, you might have even caught her playing a small role in Zombieland: Double Tap. In addition to acting, Luttrell released her very first album, I Wish You Love, in 2011 — fans who heard her sing on Atlantis know that she has a lovely voice! And while you wouldn't have noticed her onscreen, Luttrell also worked on the Marvel films Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. She was a stunt double on the set of both blockbusters.

Luttrell has also worked on several short films. She wrote the screenplays for the shorts Requiem Log #32 and Zarg Attack!, and she also wrote, directed, and acted in the 2020 short film Shelter in Place – a rather timely project.

David Hewlett portrayed Dr. Rodney McKay, the crew's resident genius. As a scientist, he was an expert on the technology developed and used by the Ancients. His expansive knowledge of the Ancients made him an integral part of the team.

Even when Atlantis ended, Hewlett wasn't quite done playing Rodney McKay yet — he returned to the role one final time as a guest star on Stargate Universe. He also continued working in television, landing recurring roles on Dark Matter, Incorporated, and the TV shorts series State of Syn.

Since his time on Atlantis, Hewlett has had supporting roles in several feature films, including Rise of the Planet of the Apes and The Shape of Water. In addition, he wrote and directed his own sci-fi film, Debug, starring none other than his Atlantis costar, Jason Momoa. Today, he also spends his free time working on his YouTube channel.

Jason Momoa joined the cast of Atlantis as Ronan Dex, a military specialist who hailed from the Planet Sateda. He spent years trying to escape the Wraith, who were a formidable enemy of the Ancients. They kept tabs on him with a tracker they implanted in his body, which was finally removed when he began working with the Atlantis crew.

After Atlantis, Momoa reached a whole new level of fame with his role as Khal Drogo on the first season of Game of Thrones. Although Drogo met his end early on, this role opened up doors for Momoa, and he went on to appear in other TV series like The Red Road, Frontier, and See. He also had opportunities to branch out and write screenplays for films like The Last Manhunt and Road to Paloma.

Today, Momoa is probably best known as the superhero Aquaman, who, coincidentally, happens to be from Atlantis. He has portrayed Aquaman in several DC films, and he'll be returning to the role again in the upcoming TV mini-series Zack Snyder's Justice League. And to stay fit for his many roles, he's taken up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in his spare time. Soon, you'll be able to catch him in Aquaman 2 and the highly anticipated film adaptation of Dune.

Fans of SG-1 were already familiar with Dr. Elizabeth Weir, played by Torri Higginson. She was once the head of Stargate Command on SG-1, and in Atlantis, she joined the Atlantis Expedition as their leader. While she did not have military experience, she was a skilled diplomat, with expertise on international politics.

Higginson made her final appearance on Atlantis in season four, after Weir met a disappointing fate. Once her time on Atlantis was over, Higginson provided the opening narration for the series State of Syn. She went on to a recurring role as Natalie Lawson on the TV series This Life, while simultaneously playing Dr. Michelle Kessler on Inhuman Condition. Next up was a role as Commander Truffault on Dark Matter. Most recently, she played Claire Malone on Transplant, a show that follows an ER doctor who flees Syria and resettles in Canada, trying to return to his career in emergency medicine.

Paul McGillion played Dr. Carson Beckett, the chief of medicine for the Atlantis team. Although his character died in season three, the actor made appearances in later episodes when the Wraiths created a clone of Beckett.

After Atlantis, McGillion has had no trouble keeping his schedule full. You might have spotted him on series like Sanctuary, The Flash, or Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, or perhaps you noticed him in the Picture Perfect Mysteries TV movies. Sci-fi fans likely recognized McGillion as a barracks leader in the 2009 Star Trek movie, and he also played the principal in the 2017 film adaptation of Death Note. In addition, he got some experience behind the camera as a director for the short film Before the Day. McGillion is currently working on the upcoming series Firefly Lane and the character drama Day to Night.

McGillion also became a father in 2012 — he and his wife welcomed their son Hugh in August. After his son was born, McGillion joked in an interview with GateWorld, "If you can believe this — he's got this little tuft of hair that looks like it belongs on Carson Beckett!"

On Atlantis, David Nykl played Dr. Radek Zelenka, who chose to join the Atlantis Expedition over taking a job back on Earth. As a scientist who knew the ins and outs of Ancient technology, he considered Dr. Rodney McKay a friendly rival of sorts. He often worked with McKay, and he plays a key role in solving some of the team's most difficult scientific problems.

With his time on Atlantis behind him, Nykl has carved out a solid lane for himself in the film industry. Although he isn't a blockbuster star, he's appeared in some interesting movies that earned favorable reviews. He starred as cryptozoologist Paoul Moran in The Beast of Bottomless Lake, who is on a quest to find a serpent-like creature that is rumored to live in a "bottomless" lake. He also had supporting roles in the dark comedy Camera Shy and the drama The Devout. In addition, Nykl has continued working in TV, with recurring roles on shows like Arrow and The Sleepers. His next project? He'll be playing Klaus in the sci-fi comedy Time Helmet.

At first, he was known only as "the technician" on Atlantis, but over time, fans learned that his name was Chuck. Chuck the technician, played by Chuck Campbell, spends much of his time working in the Stargate control room, and although he was nameless for several seasons, he was always an integral part of the crew.

When his time on Atlantis was over, Campbell continued working on the series Sanctuary, where he had already begun playing the "Two-Faced Guy" while balancing his role on Atlantis. But since then, Campbell has only taken on acting roles sporadically. He appeared in the TV movie Goodnight for Justice: Queen of Hearts, and he also starred in Deadly Descent: The Abominable Snowman, a TV movie produced by Syfy. From 2015 through 2018, he was on hiatus, but he did voice the character Burnie in the TV series Max Voltage. However, that was his last role, and he currently seems to be taking another hiatus. Perhaps he'll return to acting in the near future.

Kavan Smith played Major Evan Lorne, who becomes a team leader on the Atlantis Expedition. Lorne was first introduced in SG-1, so fans had already become acquainted with him before Atlantis. He's got a few interesting quirks — he's a talented painter who happens to have problems with sleepwalking. 

Once Atlantis was over, Smith moved on to roles in other TV shows. He has appeared on Eureka, Rogue, and Mistresses. He also had a guest role on Supernatural as Cuthbert Sinclair (but like many other characters on Supernatural, he only lasted a couple of episodes). Since 2015, he has played Leland Coulter on the drama series When Calls the Heart. But Smith has also branched out from acting and tried his hand at screenwriting — along with Alex Wright, he wrote the screenplay for the 2019 TV film Love on the Menu, which is about a chef who attempts to save his restaurant by making a desperate deal with a frozen food executive.

Like a few of the other actors on Atlantis, Robert Picardo actually made his first appearance in the Stargate universe on SG-1. Picardo played Richard Woolsey, who first dealt with legal issues for Stargate Command. He's definitely got a tough outer shell, but as he gets to know the rest of the crew, he becomes more laid-back. 

Picardo has taken on countless projects since his time on Atlantis. He's appeared on several TV series, from The Mentalist to Bravest Warriors to Space Command. He was also the writer behind the short film Ask Alphonso. Picardo has no shortage of upcoming roles, either. He'll be in the upcoming drama After Masks, the holiday romance Deck the Heart, and the sci-fi movie To Meet the Faces You Meet. He's also slated to appear in the sci-fi comedy The Inspector Chronicles. In addition, he'll be lending his voice to the character Adon in the video game Hellraid.

Amanda Tapping played Colonel Samantha "Sam" Carter on both SG-1 and Atlantis. She's an astrophysicist who ends up dealing with complicated relationship dynamics with several other men involved in the series. She's also a strong and courageous leader who never backs down during a serious mission.

Tapping began narrating the TV miniseries Riese once her time on Atlantis was over. She also continued her work on the series Sanctuary as both an executive producer and an actor. Today, you're just as likely to find Tapping behind the camera directing as you are to catch her acting. She often takes on a guest role in a particular series and directs an episode as well! For instance, she has appeared on and directed episodes of Supernatural and Travelers. She's also directed episodes of popular shows like Anne With an E, The 100, and The Flash. Now, she's going to be an executive producer and director for the supernatural drama Motherland: Fort Salem, which explores an alternate history where a coven of witches become combat soldiers.

Plenty of sci-fi fans already knew Jewel Staite as Kaylee Frye from the series Firefly, and she was a natural choice to play Dr. Jennifer Keller on Atlantis. After Dr. Carson Beckett's death, she replaces him as the chief of medicine. She was an extremely intelligent character, and while she wasn't the most assertive person on the team at first, she became more confident and assertive over time.

Since the finale of Atlantis, Staite has stayed busy working in television. From her starring role as Raquel Westbrook on The L.A. Complex to her supporting part as Mel Ravensfall on the animated series Animism, she's played plenty of interesting characters. She's also had recurring roles on The Killing, The Magicians, and State of Syn, along with other Atlantis alumni. Right now, Staite is slated to star as Abigal Branchi in the upcoming crime drama Family Law. The series explores the lives of several family members who must deal with their personal imperfections and struggles while working together at their father's law firm.

Staite has gone through many changes in her personal life since appearing on Atlantis – in 2011, she went through a divorce. Eventually, she began dating her future husband, Charlie Ritchie, and in 2015, the couple had a son named Wilder. Staite and Ritchie married in 2016.