A.J. Saudin

Last updated
A.J. Saudin
Saudin (36876642376).jpg
Born
Faisal A.J. Saudin

(1992-05-14) May 14, 1992 (age 32)
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Other namesSaudin
OccupationActor
Years active2000–present
Relatives Shadia Simmons (Sister) Sabrina Saudin (Sister)
Musical career
OriginMississauga, Ontario
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2016–present
LabelsIndependent

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 .

Contents

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

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2006 Aruba Milan-LeadShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2000 Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story RobbieTV movie
2002Street TimeLewis
2003 Comfort and Joy Derek PhillipsTV movie
2005 Kojak Otis Raines / Otis Redding2 episodes
2007 Friends and Heroes Sollie8 episodes
2007–2009 Da Kink in My Hair Chris5 episodes
2008Degrassi in IndiaSelfTV documentary
2008–2015 Degrassi: The Next Generation Connor DeLaurier Main role; 200 episodes
2010Degrassi in IndiaSelfTV documentary
Vacation with Derek OscarTV movie
2014Apple Mortgage CakeMarcus LoganTV Movie
Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B Rashad Haughton (Older)

Music videos

YearTitleArtistNotes
2018 I'm Upset Drake

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultNotesRef.
2010 Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a TV Series - Recurring Actor 14 and Over Degrassi: The Next Generation Nominated [18]
2011Best Performance in a TV Series - Recurring Young ActorNominated [19]
2012Best Performance in a TV Series - Recurring Young Actor 17 to 21WonTied with Brock Ciarlelli [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Cooley</span> Canadian actor

Ryan Hadison Cooley is a Canadian consultant and former actor. He is best known for his role as James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke on Degrassi: The Next Generation which he starred in from 2001 until 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassie Steele</span> Canadian actress and singer (born 1989)

Cassandra Rae Steele is a Canadian actress and singer known for portraying Manny Santos on Degrassi: The Next Generation and Abby Vargas on The L.A. Complex. In 2014, she played Sarah in the MTV horror television movie The Dorm. She also voices Tammy Gueterman and Tricia Lange in Adult Swim's Rick and Morty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Collins</span> Canadian actress (born 1986)

Lauren Felice Collins is a Canadian actress, best known for portraying Paige Michalchuk on Degrassi: The Next Generation. She has also had supporting roles in the films Take the Lead (2006) and Charlie Bartlett (2007). In 2013, she appeared in multiple episodes of the sketch comedy Kroll Show, as well as a recurring guest role in the fourth season of the FX series The Strain (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane Kippel</span> Canadian actor

Shane Warren Kippel is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Gavin "Spinner" Mason on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Andrea Desiree Lewis is a Canadian actress and singer, known for her role as Hazel Aden in the long-running TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Goldsbie is a Canadian film, television, and stage actor, who is best known for portraying Toby Isaacs in the CTV television series Degrassi: The Next Generation from 2001 until 2009.

Ephraim Todd Ellis is a Canadian actor. He is best known for playing Rick Murray on Degrassi: The Next Generation and Danny Ellis on Falcon Beach.

Hubert Davis is a Canadian filmmaker who was nominated for an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Cultural and Artistic Programming for his directorial debut in Hardwood, a short documentary exploring the life of his father, former Harlem Globetrotter Mel Davis. Davis was the first Afro-Canadian to be nominated for an Oscar.

Randall Thorne, better known by his pseudonyms RT! and R.T. Thorne, is a Canadian writer, producer and director. He began his career as a music video director for Sean Paul, George Nozuka, Keshia Chanté and Shawn Desman, before directing episodes of television series include Degrassi: The Next Generation, Make It Pop, Backstage and Find Me in Paris. He received three iHeartRadio MMVAs for directing.

<i>Degrassi: The Next Generation</i> season 8 Season of television series

The eighth season of Degrassi: The Next Generation premiered in Canada on 5 October 2008, concluded on 30 August 2009, and consists of twenty-two episodes. Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian serial teen drama television series. Although only one school year passed in the story timeline since season six, season eight is set in the fall semester of the year in which it aired. Writers have been able to use a semi-floating timeline, so that the issues depicted are modern for their viewers. This season depicts the lives of a group of high school freshmen, juniors, seniors, and graduates as they deal with some of the challenges and issues young adults face such as sex, sexism, sexual identity, financial difficulties, drug use, mental disorders, cyberbullying, child molestation, stress, hostage situations, racism, and psychological abuse. Thirteen actors are added to the ensemble cast, while fourteen cast members have either left the series or been dropped from the main cast to recurring roles. The season focuses heavily on the new generation of students at Degrassi Community School, although it included storylines about those who have graduated and gone on to university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melinda Shankar</span> Canadian actress

Melinda Leanna Shankar is a Canadian actress. She is best known for starring as Alli Bhandari in the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2008-2015) and as Indira "Indie" Mehta in the YTV series How To Be Indie (2009-2011), for which she won several awards, including a Canadian Screen Award in 2013.

<i>Aruba</i> (film) 2006 Canadian film

Aruba is a 2006 Canadian coming-of-age dramatic short film and the fiction debut of director Hubert Davis. It was his first major work after his Academy Award-nominated film Hardwood.

<i>Degrassi</i> season 10 Season of television series

The tenth season of the Canadian teen drama television series Degrassi, formerly known as Degrassi: The Next Generation, premiered in Canada on July 19, 2010, concluded on April 22, 2011, and consists of 44 episodes. Due to the titular "next generation" of students having been written out by this time, the suffix was dropped. With the start of the tenth season, the series survived longer than the nine-year gap between the Degrassi High telemovie School's Out (1992) and The Next Generation's premiere episode "Mother and Child Reunion" (2001).

Degrassi Takes Manhattan, titled "The Rest of My Life" in syndication, is a 2010 Canadian television film based on the teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation, the fourth entry of the Degrassi television franchise, which by release was renamed simply Degrassi. Directed by Stefan Brogren, it premiered in Canada on MuchMusic on 16 July 2010 and in the United States on TeenNick on 19 July 2010.

<i>Degrassi</i> season 11 Season of television series

The eleventh season of the Canadian teen drama television series Degrassi, formerly known as Degrassi: The Next Generation, premiered on July 18, 2011, concluded on May 18, 2012, and consists of 45 episodes. Although only three school years have passed in the story timeline since season six, part one of season eleven is set in the final term of the Spring semester, while part two is set in the fall semester to the first term of the winter semester in the years it aired. Writers used a semi-floating timeline, so that the issues depicted were modern for their viewers. The first half of this season again depicts the lives of a group of high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors while the second half of this season depicts the lives of a group of high school freshmen, juniors, and seniors as they deal with some of the challenges and issues that teenagers face such as gang violence, parenthood, transphobia, homosexuality, drug use, dysfunctional families, mental disorders, adoption, organ transplantation, crime, bulimia, alcoholism, sex, drug abuse, and murder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloe Rose</span> Canadian actress (b. 1994)

Chloe Rose is a Canadian actress. She rose to prominence when she portrayed Katie Matlin in the long-running teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation, from 2011 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmanuel Kabongo</span> Canadian actor, producer (born 1986)

Emmanuel Kabongo is a Canadian actor and producer. Born and raised in Zaire, now present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kabongo immigrated to Canada and began his acting career as an extra before achieving recognition for his performance as the lead protagonist in the acclaimed web series Teenagers (2014–2017), for which he earned his first Canadian Screen Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Upset</span> 2018 single by Drake

"I'm Upset" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his fifth studio album Scorpion (2018). It was released by Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records as the third single from the album on May 26, 2018. The song was written by Drake alongside producer Oogie Mane of Working on Dying.

<i>Livin for Love: The Natalie Cole Story</i> American TV series or program

Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story is a 2000 American drama film directed by Robert Townsend and written by Cindy Myers. It is based on the 2000 book Angel on My Shoulder by Natalie Cole and Digby Diehl. The film stars Natalie Cole, Diahann Carroll, James McDaniel, Randy J. Goodwin, Theresa Randle, Michael Anthony Rawlins, Ted Whittall and Richard Sali. The film premiered on NBC on December 10, 2000.

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. 1 2 "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.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.