| Helen Magnus | |
|---|---|
| Sanctuary character | |
 Amanda Tapping as Helen Magnus | |
| First appearance | Webisode 1 (web series) "Sanctuary for All" (TV series) |
| Last appearance | "Sanctuary for None (Part 2)"(TV series) |
| Created by | Damian Kindler |
| Portrayed by | Amanda Tapping Emily Tennant (Young Helen) |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | Head of the Sanctuary Network |
| Family | Gregory Magnus (Father) Patricia Heathering (Mother) |
| Significant other | John Druitt-formerly, James Watson-formerly (deceased) |
| Children | Ashley Magnus (Daughter) |
| Nationality | English |
| Abilities | Longevity (250+ yrs) Polymath; genius-level intellect in various fields of life science, medicine, intelligence and engineering Leading Authority on "Abnormals" Martial arts and firearms expert |
Dr. Helen Magnus is the protagonist and central character of the Canadian fantasy-science fiction television series Sanctuary. She is portrayed by Amanda Tapping. In the series, Magnus is a biologist from Victorian era England, who currently runs the global Sanctuary Network, an organization tasked with finding a series of creatures called "abnormals", and later bringing them to a Sanctuary base for refuge, to protect them from the human population. The character is over two and a half centuries old, having been given her advanced longevity by injecting herself with vampire blood, as well as reliving the 20th century from temporal displacement. After traveling back in time, Magnus had to avoid people, so she isolated herself. In the season 4 finale "Sanctuary For None: Part 2", it was revealed that Magnus spent the 113 years creating a new Sanctuary.
Tapping was offered a part in the original web series by series creator Damian Kindler and director Martin Wood. It became the actress' first regular role since playing Samantha Carter on Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis for eleven years. She initially had difficulty playing Magnus as her personality greatly differed from Carter. She also dyed her hair darker and spoke with an English accent throughout the run, as she herself was born in England. In addition, Tapping serves as the series executive producer and on some occasions, director.
Magnus and Tapping's portrayal of the character received generally mixed reactions from critics, with the negative comments pointing toward's Tapping's accent. However, Tapping was nominated for four awards, one Gemini Award and three Leo Awards, for her role as Helen Magnus, winning a Leo Award for "Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series" in 2009 for the episode "Requiem".