Jerry Adler

Actor Jerry Adler, best known for playing Hesh Rabkin on the TV mob drama "The Sopranos," died August 23, 2025, in New York City, at the age of 96.

A veteran Broadway stage manager and director, Adler began his acting career in his 60s after decades behind the scenes, earning acclaim for his late-blooming success on TV shows like "The Good Wife" and "Rescue Me."

Jerry?Adler was born on February?4,?1929, in Brooklyn, New?York. He grew up in a theatrical family, including his cousin Stella Adler, the great acting teacher. He attended Samuel J. Tilden High School and Syracuse University.

Adler began his theater career in 1950 as a stage manager on Broadway, working on dozens of productions including "My?Fair?Lady," "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," "The Apple Tree," "The Homecoming," and "Coco." He directed the musical revue "Words & Music" in 1974 and the 1976 revival of "My Fair Lady," among other theatrical works.

Adler was already in his 60s when he began acting on screen, making his television debut in "Brooklyn Bridge" in 1991 and his film debut the next year in "The Public Eye."

He gained prominence as Herman "Hesh" Rabkin in "The Sopranos," appearing in all six seasons. He later played Howard Lyman on "The Good Wife" and "The Good Fight," and held roles in "Rescue Me," "Mad About You," "Transparent," "Broad City," and the films "Manhattan Murder Mystery" and "Synecdoche, New?York."

Adler received recognition for his contributions across theater, television, and memoir writing. He earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for directing the 1976 revival of "My Fair Lady," and his memoir "Too Funny for Words: Backstage Tales from Broadway, Television and the Movies" was published in 2024.

--Legacy News Staff

(Photo: JP Yim/Getty Images)