His father of Greek descent migrated from Egypt and his mother from the United Kingdom.

Daperis attended Mentone Grammar School in Melbourne for his secondary education before graduating and moving to New York to study at film at New York University; throughout his childhood he performed in films and television.

He began acting at an early age appearing in the AFI award-winning short film The Order (1999), directed by Aden Young, and in television series such as Lift Off, Carla Cametti PD, Ocean Star and as Little Joe Cartwright in the US series Ponderosa, the prequel to the hit TV series Bonanza.

[citation needed] Feature film work includes the lead role in the Australian feature Playing For Charlie, composed by Academy Award winner Lisa Gerrard (Gladiator (2000) and Whale Rider in 2002 for which he received critical praise[1] and the Italian jockey Frankie Dettori in The Cup (2011), based on the 2002 Melbourne Cup.

He lent his voice to the sheep ensemble in the animated Paramount movie Charlotte's Web (2006).