Jerry Adler, the veteran stage director and actor best known for his role as mob adviser Hesh Rabkin on The Sopranos, has died at the age of 96.
His death was confirmed in an obituary from Riverside Memorial Chapel in New York on Saturday, though no details were given. Friend Frank J. Reilly also shared the news on social media, remembering Adler as a late-blooming but unforgettable presence on stage and screen. “You know him from one of his iconic roles [and] from many of his guest appearances,” Reilly wrote. “Not bad for a guy who didn’t start acting until he was 65.”
Born into a storied theatre family – the son of Group Theatre manager Phil Adler and nephew of actor Jacob Pavlovich Adler – Jerry Adler began his career not under the spotlight, but behind it. He worked as a stage manager on some of Broadway’s most celebrated productions, including the original 1956 staging of My Fair Lady with Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison. Two decades later, he returned to direct the show’s revival, and spent years shaping productions such as Annie, Marlene Dietrich and We Interrupt This Program….
It wasn’t until 1991 that Adler stepped in front of the camera, making his acting debut on the TV series Brooklyn Bridge. Roles soon followed on Quantum Leap, Law & Order, and Hudson Street, before he found the part that would define his career.
For six seasons on HBO’s groundbreaking drama The Sopranos, Adler portrayed Herman “Hesh” Rabkin, a sharp-witted music producer and longtime confidant to Tony Soprano. Though a recurring character, his presence loomed large, offering wisdom, humour and moral ambiguity within the violent world of New Jersey’s mob.
Adler’s television career extended far beyond the mafia drama. He charmed audiences on Broad City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Transparent, and especially The Good Wife, where his character Howard Lyman was initially intended for a single appearance. “He was so funny in a diner scene… we had him back for six years,” co-creator Robert King recalled, calling Adler “one of our favorite collaborators”. The role ultimately spanned 30 episodes and carried into the spin-off The Good Fight.
Adler’s remarkable journey from Broadway stages to some of television’s most acclaimed shows was defined by strength, wit and an enduring love of performance. His late entry into acting only made his accomplishments more extraordinary, a reminder that creativity can flourish at any age.
Image: HBO
