A. J

Background:

Entering the showbiz at age 6, Robert Iler is familiar among TV audiences as Anthony John Soprano, Jr. (a.k.a. A.J; 1999-Present), the brat son of Carmela and Tony Soprano on HBO’s hit mafia drama series "The Sopranos." He was also seen in the films The Tic Code (1999), Tadpole (2002) and Daredevil (2003).

In July 2001, Iler made headlines when he was arrested on Manhattan street for robbery and marijuana possession. More personally, the 5' 6" actor, who shocked his fans again in 2005 for dramatically losing 25 pounds, dated Edith Capone in 2002.


New Yorker

Childhood and Family:

In New York, New York, Robert Iler was born on March 2, 1985. In early July 2001, 16-year-old Iler and his two friends were arrested on Manhattan's Upper East Side on charges of second-degree robbery (they robbed $40 from two Brazilian teens) and marijuana possession. Iler later pleaded guilty on April 23, 2002 to a lesser misdemeanor and received three years probation.

The Irish-American actor who is allergic to cats shocked fans in 2005 when he dramatically lost his weight from 180 pounds to 155 pounds, thanks to the Atkins diet.


The Sopranos

Career:

While walking down the street in Manhattan with his father, 6-year-old Robert Iler was spotted by talent agent Jeff Mitchell of J. Mitchell Management. The aspiring actor immediately landed his first job in a commercial for Pizza Hut. He subsequently returned to his normal life as a child: going to school and doing homework.

At age 10 years old, he went back to the show biz scene and made his first feature film, The Tic Code (1999). In the independent musical drama film directed by Gary Winick, Iler played a bully named Denny Harley, opposite Chris Marquette. Meanwhile, he also did a number of commercials including for IBM, AT&T, VH1 and ESPN. Additionally, he could be seen in the music video for Marilyn Manson’s song “Dope Hat” (1994) and appeared alongside Rosie O'Donnell in an episode of NBC popular show "Saturday Night Live."

1999 proved to be Iler’s breakout year when he snagged the role of Anthony John Soprano, Jr. (a.k.a. A.J; 1999-Present), the constant-underachiever son of Carmela (played by Edie Falco) and Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini), on the hit HBO series "The Sopranos." During his hefty stint on the critically-acclaimed mafia drama, Iler has won one Screen Actors Guild award and two YoungStar awards. His character was also ranked #10 in TV Guide's list of "TV's 10 Biggest Brats" (27 March 2005 issue).

While his show became critical favorite, Iler shocked fans in 2001 when he had a brush with the law in 2001 for robbery and marijuana possession. However, he continues working on "The Sopranos" as well as making his second film, reuniting with director Gary Winick in his coming-of-age film Tadpole (2002), alongside Aaron Stanford, Bebe Neuwirth and Sigourney Weaver.

The following year, Iler played a bully again, this time in Mark Steven Johnson's sci-fi action/thriller based on the Marvel comics character, Daredevil, starring Ben Affleck. Afterward, he was spotted as a guest in a 2004 episode of NBC cop drama "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and USA Network's original sci-fi/suspense series starring Anthony Michael Hall, "The Dead Zone."


Awards:

- Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, "The Sopranos," 2000
- YoungStar: Best Young Actor/Performance in a Drama TV Series, "The Sopranos," 2000
- YoungStar: Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Drama TV Series, "The Sopranos," 1999