Nearly 20 years after last appearing on-screen as A.J. Soprano in the hit HBO mob dramaThe Sopranos, Robert Iler has finally returned to television withBad Thoughts, a parody sketch series released on Netflix on June 17, 2025. While not typically known for his comedic acting skills in the past, fans ofThe Sopranosmust tune in to see a much different, funnier side of Iler in his first fictional role in two decades.
Far from a brief cameo, Iler appears in three of the six episodes, maintaining a consistent performance by playing the same character each time. ForSopranosfans, the hope is that Iler will catch the acting bug again and continue to star in more movies and TV shows. Granted, it will be challenging to find a project as monumental asThe Sopranosand a lifetime role like A.J., but now that he’s all grown up, fans will get a kick out of seeing Iler play deadpan comedy for the first time.
Bad Thoughts
Created by podcaster andstand-up comedian Tom Segura,Bad Thoughtsis a parody sketch show of loosely related vignettes. The show pokes fun at everything from assassin movie tropes and pretentious A24 releases to apocalyptic movie conventions, country music stars, Steven Seagal, and more. Segura plays various roles in each sketch, from inept hitmen to perverted IT experts to a maniacal singer who kidnaps his fans.
Marked by dark and disturbing gross-out comedic sensibilities,Bad Thoughtshas six episodes. The cast members include Shea Whigham, Dan Stevens, Bobby Lee, Dani Hurtado, Annie Abbott, Kirk Fox, Elisa Berdugo, Malcolm Stephenson, and Tina Parker.Although each vignette adopts a different tone, each story is connected through two recurring characters, including Byung Sung (Arnold Chun) and Evan (Iler). Save for Segura, Iler appears in more episodes than anyone.
Robert Iler appears inBad ThoughtsEpisode 1, “Jobs,” 2, “Success,” and 5, “Communication.“Introduced as Evan, a corporate employee whose boss is counting on him and his team to increase fourth-quarter sales. Evan is instantly reprimanded for not paying attention when he is too distracted by the IT guy performing lewd acts in the corner, in front of other employees, who fail to notice anything odd.
When Evan confronts the IT expert for indulging in VR sex acts in the office, the IT guy comes up with one absurd excuse after another that no human would ever believe. Yet, Evan is the one who is frowned upon by his co-workers as a weirdo.Played with deadpan, straight-faced humor, Iler proves that he’s still comfortable and natural in front of a camera, showing he has developed legitimate comedic talents since starring inThe Sopranos.
10 Mysteries From ‘The Sopranos’ That Will Never Be Answered
‘The Sopranos’ was notorious for its many loose ends, failing to provide resolutions for certain characters and storylines.
Yet, far from a one-note performance, Iler appears as Evan again in a much different light in Episode 2, “Success.” Plopped right in the middle of an apocalyptic alien invasion, Evan darts through a wiped-out town in a hospital gown and races to find safety. Without spoiling the particulars, an alien dupes Evan into performing an unspeakable act that reinforces the disgusting adult themes introduced in “Jobs.”
For an actor who began his career as a child performer, landing a plum role on one of the most successful TV shows in history, and remaining away from the spotlight for nearly 20 years, Iler’s ability to step in and not miss a beat is impressive. He’s as natural on camera inBad Thoughtsas A.J. inThe Sopranos, reminding fans of what could have been if he hadn’t cut his acting career short to pursue professional poker.
Although it’s best to leave Iler’s final appearance as Evan inBad ThoughtsforSopranosfans to discover, it’s worth exploring why he quit acting and what he’s been up to since his last TV appearance.
Why Robert Iler Quit Acting Following The Sopranos, Explained
Robert Iler began his acting career as a child by appearing in TV commercials and music videos. Following his appearance in the 1998 filmThe Tic Code, Robert Iler landed the role of a lifetime as A.J. Soprano in HBO’s monumental mob dramaThe Sopranos.From 1999 to 2007, Iler played A.J. with remarkable authenticity in 76 episodes, learning his trade by watchingperformances by James Gandolfini(Tony Soprano) and Edie Falco (Carmela Soprano) daily.
Following his final Sopranos appearance in the controversial 2007 finale, “Made in America,” Iler made one post-show TV appearance. In 2009, Iler played Troy Linsky, a violent school bully inLaw & Order, his final TV appearance sinceBad Thoughts. Iler later admitted he only didLaw & Orderto get out of jury duty…twice.
This Tragic ‘Sopranos’ Death Is Actually More Devastating Than You Think
A compelling fan theory provides more evidence.
In 2020, Iler joined hisSopranosco-stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa onthe podcastTalking Sopranosto reflect on the show. Despite being offered several parts,Iler admitted that he never accepted another TV role because he knew nothing could ever live up toThe Sopranos. He knew that the quality would never be duplicated and that nothing could eclipse his experience learning from Gandolfini and Falco on the set.
As Iler tells it:
“It’s like you played for the Yankees, and now people are like, ‘hey, do you want to do this thing,’ and you don’t know if it’s going to be good. I feel like with The Sopranos, you just knew every episode was going to be great. Every scene was going to be great. Every person you were acting with was going to be great.”
“And since the only thing I really ever did was this 10-year thing, I guess I have a fear of ‘like, wow, what if I went to go to something and I hated it.'”
Fortunately, Iler likedBad Thoughtsenough to return to acting and showcase a different side of his talents.The Sopranosfans will get a blast seeing Iler for the first time in two decades, playing a much funnier character than his most famous role.
