“I was sick and tired”: Robert Iler Partied in Vegas for Years After Rough Times in James Gandolfini’s The Sopranos as a Child Actor

Robert Iler decided to leave acting as soon as The Sopranos wrapped up, and now he’s detailing what happened to him after he moved to Vegas.

Remember Robert Iler from The Sopranos? The former child actor is most notable for his portrayal of A.J. Soprano, the son of Carmela and Tony Soprano and the younger brother of Meadow Soprano. He played this for almost a decade, and unfortunately, it took a toll on him that he decided to quit acting.

The show was one of the most successful HBO franchises, and the pressure to maintain that quality had its effect on the actors, particularly Iler. He was only 12 years old when he shot the pilot episode, and he spent a huge chunk of his teenage life working on television.

What happened to Robert Iler after The Sopranos ended?

After Robert Iler’s stint in The Sopranos, fans have never seen him in any show or movie as he decided to leave acting altogether. What could have made him ditch a massive opportunity after starring in one of the most acclaimed shows of all time?

The former star revealed in his interview via Kristian Harloff’s YouTube channel that the pressure brought about by the demands of being an actor took a toll on him. He had been working in the entertainment industry since he was a kid and was still in it in his early 20s. This made him sick to his stomach.

When I was 22, we finished Sopranos, and I kind of told my manager, ‘Leave me alone for a long time. I just want to go. I just want to hang’, you know, cuz I started acting when I was 6. I didn’t get Sopranos till I was 12. I think, I was sick and tired of people telling me where to go, where to sit, how to cut my hair, what to eat, just want to do my own thing.

Iler confessed he refused to speak to his manager for about four years. He was very much certain that he was done acting. He went to Las Vegas for what he thought would just be a two-week vacation, and the next thing he knew, he stayed there for two years.

What was he doing in Vegas? Partying and trying to get it all out of his system. Interestingly, he pursued a career as a professional poker player, and during those years, Iler struggled with substance abuse. The good news is that he has been sober since 2013.

Is Robert Iler planning to go back to acting?

Iler hasn’t acted for years, but he isn’t closing his doors forever. He admitted that there were times he would think he could still give it a shot.

The former actor also confessed he hasn’t seen all of The Sopranos episodes. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to see himself on screen but more because of James Gandolfini’s death. He could not bear the thought of watching the show knowing his onscreen dad was now gone.

Iler is now running a podcast show with The Sopranos costar Jamie-Lynn Sigler called Not Today Pal, which debuted in 2023.