A.J. Saudin

Faisal A.J. Saudin (born May 14, 1992), known professionally as A.J. Saudin or Saudin,^[1] is a Canadian actor, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his role as Connor DeLaurier in the long-running teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation.

A.J. Saudin
Born	Faisal A.J. Saudin (1992-05-14) May 14, 1992 (age 32) Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Other names	Saudin
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2000–present
Relatives	Shadia Simmons (Sister) Sabrina Saudin (Sister)
Musical career
Origin	Mississauga, Ontario
Genres	Pop R&B
Occupations	Singer songwriter
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	2016–present
Labels	Independent

Acting career

Before finding success on Degrassi, Saudin worked as a child in print work and commercials before landing his first film role as a seven-year-old, working alongside Natalie Cole in Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story (2000).^[2]

He also starred in supporting roles on various TV series, including Da Kink in my Hair (2007–2009). He also hosted several episodes of Open Your Ears, a music-centered show that aired on Canada's YTV channel.^[3]

Saudin landed his first lead role in the film Aruba (2006), directed by Oscar-nominated director Hubert Davis.^[4][5] The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2006,^[6][7] and then screened at several festivals, including the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival,^[8] the 2006 Palm Springs International ShortFest,^[9] the 2007 Seattle International Film Festival,^[10] and the 2008 Kansas City Jubilee Film Festival.^[11]

Saudin starred on the hit Canadian TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation for 7 years (2008–2015), playing Connor DeLaurier, a teenager with Asperger syndrome.^[12] Saudin exited in the show in 2015 to begin focusing on his music career.^[13]

He made an appearance in Drake's 2018 music video for the single I'm Upset. The music video featured a variety of past Degrassi cast members.^[14]

Music career

Saudin left Degrassi: The Next Generation in 2015 to begin focusing on his music career, releasing his first single "Sunset" in October 2016.^[13][15] On the social media platform, Twitter, Saudin confirmed he had quit acting permanently to begin working on music.^[16]

Saudin released his debut EP, "Before I Met You" on April 21, 2017. The EP featured artists YeAli and Night Lovell.^[17]

On August 25, 2017, Saudin released his second EP titled "A Midsummer's Daydream" on all music streaming platforms. The project contains four tracks, and was executive produced by himself, Emjay and dF.

On September 1, 2017, he made his live performance debut at the iconic Mod Club Theatre in Toronto, Ontario to a sold out crowd.

Discography

EPs

• Before I Met You (2017)
• A Midsummer's Daydream (2017)

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2006	Aruba	Milan-Lead	Short film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2000	Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story	Robbie	TV movie
2002	Street Time	Lewis
2003	Comfort and Joy	Derek Phillips	TV movie
2005	Kojak	Otis Raines / Otis Redding	2 episodes
2007	Friends and Heroes	Sollie	8 episodes
2007–2009	Da Kink in My Hair	Chris	5 episodes
2008	Degrassi in India	Self	TV documentary
2008–2015	Degrassi: The Next Generation	Connor DeLaurier	Main role; 200 episodes
2010	Degrassi in India	Self	TV documentary
	Vacation with Derek	Oscar	TV movie
2014	Apple Mortgage Cake	Marcus Logan	TV Movie
	Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B	Rashad Haughton (Older)

Music videos

Year	Title	Artist	Notes
2018	I'm Upset	Drake

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Notes	Ref.
2010	Young Artist Awards	Best Performance in a TV Series - Recurring Actor 14 and Over	Degrassi: The Next Generation	Nominated		[18]
2011		Best Performance in a TV Series - Recurring Young Actor		Nominated		[19]
2012		Best Performance in a TV Series - Recurring Young Actor 17 to 21		Won	Tied with Brock Ciarlelli	[20]

References

1. "Saudin: What comes easy won't last, what lasts won't come easy – The Come Up Show". The Come Up Show. 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
2. Townsend, Robert (2000-12-10), Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story (Biography, Drama), Natalie Cole, Diahann Carroll, James McDaniel, NBC Studios, Pearson Television International, Robert Greenwald Productions, retrieved 2024-06-30
3. "AJ Saudin". CTV. September 1, 2009. Archived from the original on October 24, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
4. "About a boy". Factiva. 2006-01-23. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
5. Mark Deming (2012). "Aruba". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
6. "Six Canadian short films at Sundance". CBC News. December 6, 2005. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
7. "Aruba". The Sundance Channel. Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
8. Walker, Susan (September 8, 2006). "Shorts on show". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
9. "Aruba". Palm Springs International Film Society. Archived from the original on 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
10. "Aruba". Seattle International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
11. "Aruba screening". Kansas City Jubilee Film Festival. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
12. Zeidman, Matthew B. (February 28, 2009). "'Degrassi' Tackles Asperger Syndrome". Hollywood Today. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
13. "AJ Saudin Releases New Song "The Road"". Kary's Degrassi Blog. 2017-02-14. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
14. Thompson, Desire (2018-06-14). "The Backstories To Every 'Degrassi' Character Featured In Drake's "I'm Upset" Video". VIBE.com. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
15. "'Degrassi' Star A.J. Saudin Is All Grown Up And Giving Us Total Drake Vibes". HuffPost Canada. 2017-02-16. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
16. Saudin, A.J. [@AJSaudin] (13 February 2017). "Just FYI, I've always loved making music. I didn't just start because "I'm a failed actor". FYI, I quit acting after degrassi" (Tweet). Retrieved 2017-09-12 – via Twitter.
17. Price, Joe. "Listen to Saudin's Debut EP 'Before I Met You'". Complex. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
18. "Young Artist Awards (2010)". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
19. "Young Artist Awards (2011)". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
20. "Young Artist Awards (2012)". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-03-09.

External links

• A.J. Saudin at IMDb