| American actor Date of Birth: 02.03.1985 Country: USA |
Robert Michael Iler is an American actor best known for his role in the HBO series "The Sopranos". Unlike many famous child stars, Iler's path to success was never particularly easy. Although his resume quickly filled up with various commercials and films, including the 1998 film "The Tic Code" and the 2003 comic book action film "Daredevil", true fame only came to him after his role as the offspring of a criminal family in the gangster drama "The Sopranos". Iler began filming the series at the age of fourteen, practically growing up on television; his development as a person and as an actor could be observed by viewers in almost real-time. By the time the legendary show ended, Iler had transformed from a spoiled juvenile delinquent with an angelic face into a closed-off, introverted young man.
Robert was born in New York, and contrary to what viewers might think, he does not have a drop of Italian blood in his veins, although there is a significant portion of Irish blood. He started pursuing acting at the age of six, after a talent agent noticed him. The agent, Jeff Mitchell, recognized his potential in the chubby little boy and reached out to his father. After careful consideration and background checks on Mitchell, Iler's parents gave their consent for their son to participate in filming. Jeff demonstrated professionalism and quickly found a place for his protege in a nationally aired commercial. Robert's first project was a commercial for "Pizza Hut". After several commercial works, including companies like "IBM" and "AT&T", Iler landed the role of a lifetime - the role of Anthony Soprano Jr., the only son and youngest of the children in the Soprano crime family.
Throughout the course of the series, which eventually became a cultural phenomenon, Robert's character evolved and changed. Initially, he played a relatively naive troublemaker, but by the end of the series, he portrayed a charming young man. As Iler gained experience, his character was given more and more screen time. Unfortunately, the role of a young gangster resonated a little too well with Robert, and in 2001, his legal troubles spilled over into real life. During a break between filming, Iler was arrested on suspicion of robbing a Brazilian tourist, and marijuana was found on him during the search. He faced up to fifteen years in prison, but fortunately, Iler decided to cooperate with the justice system and ultimately received three years of probation.
Returning to "The Sopranos" in 2005, Iler left his criminal past behind and fully dedicated himself to his work. In the sixth season of the series, he became one of the main characters, with one storyline revealing how deeply Anthony was affected by his father's near-death experience, caused by his own uncle. Later on, Iler's character attempted to seek revenge for his father but was unsuccessful and ended up getting arrested. After some time, Anthony returned to the series, was given a love interest, and everything seemed to be going well. However, due to the whims of the scriptwriters, his fate suddenly changed. Iler's ability to embody this character so well leaves no doubt about his promising future in acting.