In 1997, Anderson returned to television as the lead actor of the series Stargate SG-1, a spin-off of the 1994 film Stargate, replacing actor Kurt Russell. He played the lead from 1997 to 2005 and had a recurring role from 2005 to 2007. Since 1997, he has starred in only one film: Stargate: Continuum, released in 2008 as a sequel film after the Stargate SG-1 film The Ark of Truth. He appeared in the follow-up Stargate spin-off series Stargate: Atlantis and Stargate: Universe (reprising his role from SG-1 as Major General and later Lieutenant General Jack O'Neill).
Anderson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the oldest of four sons born to Stuart Jay Anderson, a teacher, and Jocelyn Rhae Carter, an artist. He is of Norwegian, Scottish, Finnish-Swedish, English, German, Swedish and possibly Mohawk descent. His last name, Anderson, derives from his Finnish-Swedish paternal grandfather.
He grew up in Roseville, Minnesota, where he attended Alexander Ramsey High School. As a teenager, his dream of becoming a professional hockey player was ended when he broke both arms three weeks apart while playing hockey for the school team at the age of 18. According to Hockey Hall of Fame member Stan Mikita as of 2009, Anderson was "a hockey nut and pretty damn good hockey player." He developed an early interest in music, art, and acting. For a short time, he tried to become a jazz musician.

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