Faisal A.J. Saudin (born May 14, 1992), known professionally as A.J. Saudin or Saudin, 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''.

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 Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

in '' The Natalie Cole Story'' (2000). He also starred in supporting roles on various TV series, including ''

Da Kink in my Hair ''Da Kink in My Hair'' is a play by Trey Anthony, which debuted at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2001. The play's central character is Novelette, the Caribbean Canadian owner of Letty's, a Toronto hair salon. Novelette is forced to confront her g ...

'' (2007–2009). He also hosted several episodes of ''Open Your Ears'', a music-centered show that aired on Canada's YTV channel. Saudin landed his first lead role in the film ''

Aruba Aruba ( , , ), officially the Country of Aruba ( nl, Land Aruba; pap, Pais Aruba) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands physically located in the mid-south of the Caribbean Sea, about north of the Venezuela peninsula of ...

'' (2006), directed by

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

-nominated director

Hubert Davis Hubert Ira Davis Jr. (born May 17, 1970) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's team. Before his coaching career, Davis played for North Carolina from 19 ...

. The film premiered at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

in January 2006, and then screened at several festivals, including the 2006

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

, the 2006

Palm Springs International ShortFest The Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films (a.k.a. Palm Springs International ShortFest) held annually in Palm Springs, California is the largest film festival for short films in the United States.Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees. The SIFF runs for more th ...

, and the 2008 Kansas City Jubilee Film Festival. Saudin starred on the hit Canadian TV series ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' for 6 years (2008–2015), playing Connor DeLaurier, a teenager with

Asperger syndrome Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's, is a former neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in Interpersonal relationship, social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and re ...

. Saudin exited in the show in 2015 to begin focusing on his music career.

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. On the social media platform, Twitter, Saudin confirmed he had quit acting permanently to begin working on music. Saudin released his debut EP, "''Before I Met You"'' on April 21, 2017. 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, Saudin made his live performance debut at the iconic

Mod Club Theatre The Mod Club Theatre (commonly called Mod Club) was an entertainment venue in Toronto that operated from 2002 to 2020. Its address was 722 College Street, which is in the city's Little Italy neighbourhood. Founded by Platinum Blonde frontman Ma ...

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

to a sold out crowd.

Filmography

Discography

EPs

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

References

External links

* 1992 births Living people Black Canadian male actors Canadian male film actors Canadian male television actors Canadian male singer-songwriters Canadian singer-songwriters Canadian people of Nigerian descent Male actors from Ontario Musicians from Mississauga {{Canada-film-bio-stub