Jerry Adler, Broadway Stage Manager and ‘Sopranos’ Actor, Dies at 96
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A behind-the-scenes veteran of Broadway who transitioned to a celebrated acting career, most notably as Herman “Hesh” Rabkin on HBOS The Sopranos, jerry Adler passed away Saturday in New York City at the age of 96. Adler’s decades-long career spanned the worlds of stage management and performance, culminating in a late-life renaissance as a recognizable face on television and film.
From Backstage to the Screen
Born in Brooklyn, Adler’s initial foray into the entertainment industry came through familial connections. Despite being related to the renowned acting teacher Stella Adler, he didn’t pursue acting until his early 60s. His early career was firmly rooted in the logistical world of theatre, begining in 1950 while a student at Syracuse University when his father, a General Manager with the Group Theatre, offered him a job as an assistant stage manager on Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. “I’m a creature of nepotism,” Adler acknowledged in a 2015 interview.
He continued to hone his skills as a stage manager, working on a string of prominent productions including the 1956 revival of My Fair Lady starring Audrey Hepburn. He personally negotiated with the construction crew, arranging a signal system to ensure silence during her song. “They thought I was a [expletive] lunatic,” Adler recalled, describing his initial attempt to relay Hepburn’s request.
His transition to acting began unexpectedly in 1991 with a small role on the CBS sitcom Brooklyn Bridge.This led to a series of roles, including Rabbi Alan Schulman on CBS’ Northern Exposure, the handyman Mr.Wicker on NBC’s Mad About You, and Moshe, the father of Jeffrey Tambor’s Maura Pfefferman, on Amazon’s Clear. He also portrayed a Holocaust survivor in the final season of Comedy Central’s Broad City.
The Sopranos and Late-Career Recognition
However, it was his portrayal of Herman “Hesh” Rabkin, the consigliere to James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano, on The Sopranos that brought Adler widespread recognition.He also became known for his roles as the boorish law partner Howard Lyman on CBS’ The Good Wife and NYFD station chief Sidney Feinberg on FX’s Rescue Me.Adler often remarked on the surreal experience of becoming a recognizable face after a lifetime spent behind the scenes. “you spend your whole career backstage…and then you do a television show and suddenly you’re a celebrity,” he observed in a 2017 interview.
Adler continued to work steadily in both television and film, appearing in Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993), Synecdoche, New York (2008), and A Most Violent Year (2014). He even returned to Broadway in 2000, appearing in elaine May’s comedy taller Than a Dwarf and later in 2015 as Larry David’s bed-ridden father in Fish in the Dark.
In May 2024, Adler released Too Funny for Words: Backstage Tales From Broadway, Television, and the Movies, offering a glimpse into his extraordinary life in entertainment.
Jerry Adler is survived by his wife, psychologist Joan Laxman, whom he married in 1994, and his daughters, Alisa, Amy, Laura, and Emily. His legacy extends beyond his on-screen performances, encompassing a lifetime dedicated to the art of theater and a remarkable career that defied conventional timelines.
