Jerry Adler Remembered: From Broadway to The Sopranos
Jerry Adler, a familiar face to television audiences and a veteran of the Broadway stage, has passed away at the age of 96. His death was confirmed by his family, and tributes have since poured in from colleagues, fans, and friends who admired both his long career and his remarkable late-in-life turn as an actor.
What makes Adler’s story so unique is that acting was not even his first career. Born in Brooklyn and a cousin of famed acting teacher Stella Adler, Jerry began his professional life behind the scenes in the theater. In fact, he worked as stage manager on some of the most legendary Broadway productions, including My Fair Lady , Gentlemen Prefer Blondes , and The Apple Tree . He managed productions for the likes of Arthur Miller, Harold Pinter, and Mike Nichols, and crossed paths with giants such as Orson Welles, Katharine Hepburn, and Zero Mostel. For decades, he was one of those indispensable people who made Broadway run smoothly, even if audiences never knew his name.
It wasn’t until his early sixties that Adler stepped into the spotlight himself. Quite unexpectedly, he found a new career in front of the camera. His first screen role came in the early 1990s, and soon enough, audiences began recognizing his face. He became best known for playing Herman “Hesh” Rabkin, a trusted advisor to Tony Soprano in HBO’s The Sopranos . That role made him a familiar figure to millions and gave him a late-career resurgence that few could have predicted.
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But The Sopranos was just one chapter. He appeared on The Good Wife as the brash Howard Lyman, recurred on Rescue Me as a fire chief, and brought warmth and wit to shows like Northern Exposure , Transparent , Mad About You , and Broad City . On the big screen, he was seen in Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery , Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York , and In Her Shoes . What’s striking is how naturally he fit into roles, despite coming to acting so late.
Colleagues remember not only his talent but also his humor. Robert King, co-creator of The Good Wife , recalled that Adler was originally cast for a single episode, but his sharp delivery in one scene made him indispensable, and he stayed with the series for years. Fans online have shared their own tributes, calling him a “New York legend” and praising the depth he brought to every part.
Adler once reflected on the odd twist of fame that came so late, saying that after decades behind the curtain, suddenly everyone knew his face. That irony—of a man who spent a lifetime in the shadows only to shine in his later years—makes his career all the more inspiring.
He is survived by his wife, psychologist Joan Laxman, whom he married in 1994. Jerry Adler’s life stands as a reminder that new chapters can begin at any stage, and that both the backstage and the spotlight can leave a lasting legacy.
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