Hollywood actor Jerry Adler, best known for his role in The Sopranos, has died aged 96.
His passing was confirmed by close friend Frank J. Reilly, who paid tribute on X, writing: “The great actor, my friend Jerry Adler, died today at the age of 96. You know him from one of his iconic roles had from many of his guest appearances. Not bad for a guy who didn’t start acting until he was 65.”
Born in Brooklyn, Adler was a cousin of legendary acting teacher Stella Adler. Although he worked as a stage manager on Broadway, including the original production of My Fair Lady, he did not begin his acting career until his early 60s. His first screen appearance came in 1991 on the CBS sitcom Brooklyn Bridge.
Adler’s career flourished with roles in major films such as Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery and Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York. However, his defining role came as Herman “Hesh” Rabkin, consigliere to James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano, in the HBO hit series The Sopranos. He later gained further recognition in The Good Wife.
Reflecting on late success, Adler said in a 2017 interview: “You spend your whole career backstage. Nobody knows who you are or even knows your name. They don’t know anything about you. And then you do a television show and suddenly you’re a celebrity and everyone knows your face. It’s so weird.”
Adler is survived by his wife, psychologist Joan Laxman, whom he married in 1994.