AJ Rodrigues

Anthony Álvaro "AJ" Rodrigues Jr. (born April 12, 1994) is an American television personality, actor, and model, best known for starring in the x|MTV reality show Made in Manhattan.

Early life
Rodrigues was born in the affluent x|Blackstone neighborhood of x|Providence, Rhode Island. His father, Anthony Álvaro Rodrigues Sr., is a business magnate in the lumber industry. Rodrigues's paternal grandfather, Álvaro Rodrigues, immigrated to Rhode Island from x|Portugal in the 1950s and started Rodrigues Lumber Corporation, which continues to be family-run. Rodrigues's mother, Maureen O'Hara, is a nurse practitioner of x|Irish-American origin. He was raised x|Catholic, but has since abandoned the religion.

Rodrigues grew up in a large, affluent family deeply rooted in their Portuguese heritage and traditions. He has one older sister: Kathleen, two younger brothers: Dylan and Eric, and a younger sister: Emily. Rodrigues attended private schooling his whole life, and graduated from high school in 2012. After graduating, he enrolled in x|Brown University as a business major, but dropped out during his first semester. He then moved to x|New York City to pursue a career in acting and modeling, and enrolled in the x|Tisch School of the Arts within x|New York University as a drama student. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2017.

Career
After moving to x|New York City during October 2012, Rodrigues began his career as a professional actor and model. He was signed to an agency, and began working as a print model in ad campaigns, later transitioning into runway work as well. He walked in x|New York Fashion Week in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. He also walked in fashion weeks in x|Los Angeles, x|Milan, and x|London.

Rodrigues did work as an extra on several New York-based television shows and films, such as Hawkins Street, Nightmare, Bright Lights Big City, and Mean People. He was a featured extra in Dance in the Dark, Save Me, and New York Fire. Due to his featured extra work, he was able to join x|SAG-AFTRA. He began a career as a television personality in 2017, after being cast in the x|MTV reality show x|Made in Manhattan.

Personal life
Rodrigues resides in the x|Chelsea neighborhood of x|Manhattan. He is openly gay, having come out at age seventeen. Rodrigues has stated that while his family was supportive of his sexuality, he believes that they were disappointed. As a child, Rodrigues was spoken to by his paternal grandparents in only x|Portuguese, so he continues to have a moderate degree of fluency in the language.