“From Broadway’s Backstage to ‘The Sopranos’ Spotlight – Veteran Actor Jerry Adler Passes Away at 96”
Jerry Adler passed away on Saturday, his family confirmed in a short statement through Riverside Memorial Chapel in New York.
Adler’s screen career included memorable roles such as Hesh Rabkin, trusted adviser to Tony Soprano throughout all six seasons of The Sopranos, and Howard Lyman, the quirky law partner in The Good Wife. Long before he appeared in front of a camera, however, Adler had already built an extraordinary legacy backstage—credited on 53 Broadway productions as a stage manager, producer, and director.
Born into a family deeply connected to Jewish and Yiddish theater, Adler often reflected on his roots. In a 2014 interview with the Jewish Ledger, he noted that his father, Philip Adler, worked as a general manager with the influential Group Theatre and on Broadway, while his cousin, Stella Adler, became one of the most renowned acting teachers of her time.