‘Sopranos’ Actor Dies, Fans and Colleagues Pay Tribute
Jerry Adler, the longtime actor and Broadway veteran best known for playing Hesh Rabkin on HBO’s The Sopranos, has died at the age of 96.
His friend Frank J. Reilly shared the news 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.”
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. Check out his IMDb page. https://t.co/BeOLeEliOb pic.twitter.com/fnbB8soWy4
— Frank J. Reilly 🌻 (@FrankJReilly1) August 23, 2025
Adler had a late start as an actor but went on to leave his mark on television and film. On The Sopranos, he played Hesh, a trusted advisor and friend to Tony Soprano.
On the legal drama The Good Wife, he showed a different side as the rough and blunt lawyer Howard Lyman, a role he carried into the spinoff The Good Fight. He also had a recurring part in Rescue Me as Deputy Chief Sidney Feinberg.
Born in Brooklyn on February 4, 1929, Adler grew up around theater. His father worked for the Group Theatre in New York, and his cousin was famous acting coach Stella Adler.
In a 2015 interview with TheaterMania, Adler admitted, “I’m a creature of nepotism,” remembering how he cut class at Syracuse University to help backstage on a production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1950.
For years, Adler worked behind the curtain on Broadway. He was stage manager for more than 50 productions, including the original My Fair Lady in 1956, which starred a young Julie Andrews. He also directed several shows and worked as stage manager for the soap Santa Barbara and the 1985 Tony Awards.
It wasn’t until the 1990s, when he was close to retirement, that Adler began acting on screen. From then on, he built a long list of credits. He appeared in shows like Quantum Leap, Northern Exposure, The West Wing, Mad About You, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Transparent and Broad City. He also acted in films such as Manhattan Murder Mystery, In Her Shoes, A Most Violent Year and Driveways.
Adler once said it was strange to be recognized for his acting after decades working backstage. “Having done so many shows on Broadway backstage in the dark, to be recognized now is so weird and something that you never expected. When I walk down the street now, it’s like ‘Hey, Hesh!’”
Adler’s career stretched across decades, from the Broadway stage to some of TV’s most celebrated series, and he continued working well into his later years.
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