Deniz Akdeniz

Deniz Akdeniz is the Turkish-Australian actor who will portray Aladdin on ABC's Once Upon a Time.

Biography
Akdeniz is of Turkish origin; his parents emigrated from Izmir, Turkey, in 1987. His father, Atila, is a lecturer at Melbourne University and his mother, Aysel, is a biochemistry researcher.

He was nominated for the "Best Actor" in the 2010 Inside Film Awards for his role of "Homer" in the Australian box office hit Tomorrow, When the War Began. Akdeniz is also known for his role of "Raff" in the Disney television production As the Bell Rings

Before relocating to Los Angeles in January 2013, Akdeniz trained with Bruce Alexander at Melbourne Acting Studio. From his LA base, Deniz continues to be coached via Skype by Bruce, who now operates his studio in London.