{"id":2561,"date":"2025-08-28T11:30:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T11:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/realnewsz13.store\/?p=2561"},"modified":"2025-08-28T11:30:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T11:30:08","slug":"sopranos-star-jerry-adler-dies-aged-96","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/realnewsz13.store\/?p=2561","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Sopranos\u2019 star Jerry Adler dies aged 96"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One of the brilliant, talented actors who helped make HBO\u2019s\u00a0The Sopranos<\/em>\u00a0a cultural phenomenon has passed away.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Jerry Adler, the beloved actor who brought Hesh Rabkin to life, has died at 96.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Worked with Marlene Dietrich and Julie Andrews<\/h2>\n

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1929, Adler didn\u2019t follow the typical Hollywood route. He spent decades honing his craft behind the scenes on Broadway before finally making his on-screen debut in his 60s.<\/p>\n

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Long before TV audiences knew him as\u00a0Tony Soprano\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0trusted adviser, Adler racked up 53 Broadway credits as a stage manager, producer, or director.<\/p>\n

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His theater r\u00e9sum\u00e9 included iconic productions like\u00a0My Fair Lady<\/em>\u00a0and collaborations with legends such as Katharine Hepburn, Orson Welles, Marlene Dietrich, Julie Andrews, and Richard Burton.<\/p>\n

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Jerry Adler at the WB Network Upfront 2001 at Tavern on the Green on May 14, 2001. (Photo by Walter McBride\/Corbis via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Born into an entertainment family deeply rooted in Jewish and Yiddish theater, Adler once\u00a0described himself<\/a>\u00a0candidly: \u201cI\u2019m a creature of nepotism. I got my first job when I was at Syracuse University and my father, the general manager of\u00a0Gentlemen Prefer Blondes<\/em>, called me because there was an opening for an assistant stage manager. I skipped school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family was always involved in Jewish theater \u2013 my cousin was Stella Adler; my father, Phil Adler, was manager of the Group Theatre in the \u201830s \u2013 so I\u2019ve always been around Jewish theater and actors,\u201d he once\u00a0said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201dI\u2019d never acted before\u201d<\/h2>\n

After leaving Broadway during its 1980s slump, Adler moved to California, working on TV shows including\u00a0Santa Barbara<\/em>. \u201cI was really getting into the twilight of a mediocre career,\u201d he admitted to The New York Times in 1992.<\/p>\n

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But fate had other plans. Donna Isaacson, a casting director and family friend, suggested Adler try acting.<\/p>\n

\u201dI\u2019d never acted before. I\u2019d never entertained the idea of acting; it was an unusual thing,\u201d he\u00a0said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Curious, he auditioned for the Joe Pesci film\u00a0The Public Eye<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 and impressed director Howard Franklin, who recalled getting \u201cchills\u201d during Adler\u2019s reading. That unexpected debut launched a screen career spanning more than 30 years.<\/p>\n

Adler\u2019s early television work on\u00a0Northern Exposure<\/em>\u00a0eventually led to his defining role on\u00a0The Sopranos<\/em>. \u201cWhen David was going to do the pilot for\u00a0The Sopranos<\/em>\u00a0he called and asked me if I would do a cameo of Hesh. It was just supposed to be a one-shot,\u201d he told Forward in 2015. \u201cBut when they picked up the show they liked the character, and I would come on every fourth week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Funniest quote on Sopranos<\/h2>\n

Fans of the show will recognize Hesh as Tony Soprano\u2019s father\u2019s longtime friend and mob partner. \u201cWhen Tony\u2019s father died, Hesh became kind of Tony\u2019s mentor and close friend,\u201d Adler\u00a0explained<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One fan fondly remembered Adler\u2019s comedic timing on\u00a0The Sopranos<\/em>, sharing an anecdote from a funeral scene about two brothers. When the rabbi asked if anyone had something nice to say about the deceased, a lone voice called out from the back of the synagogue: \u201cHis brother was worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond Hesh, Adler appeared in\u00a0The Good Wife<\/em>\u00a0as Howard Lyman and made memorable guest appearances on shows from\u00a0Rescue Me<\/em>\u00a0to\u00a0Transparent<\/em>,\u00a0The West Wing<\/em>, and\u00a0Broad City<\/em>. His film work included Woody Allen\u2019s\u00a0Manhattan Murder Mystery<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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Jerry Adler exits the stage doors of the Broadway play \u201cFish In The Dark\u201d at the Cort Theatre on May 22, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Bobby Bank\/GC Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even after decades of success, Adler never gave up his love for theater. He returned to Broadway in Elaine May\u2019s\u00a0Taller Than a Dwarf<\/em>\u00a0in 2000 and, in 2015, appeared in Larry David\u2019s stage debut,\u00a0Fish in the Dark<\/em>. \u201cI do it because I really enjoy it. I think retirement is a road to nowhere,\u201d he told\u00a0Forward<\/em>. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t know what to do if I were retired. Meanwhile this is great.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Last year, Adler published his memoir,\u00a0Too Funny for Words: Backstage Tales from Broadway, Television and the Movies<\/em>. Always ready for the next role, he said, \u201cI\u2019m ready to go at a moment\u2019s notice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jerry Adler wife<\/h2>\n

Adler passed away at his New York City home on August 23, 2025, at the age of 96.<\/p>\n

His representative told\u00a0Page Six<\/a>\u00a0exclusively on Sunday, \u201cHe passed peacefully in his sleep in New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adler is survived by his four daughters \u2014 Alisa, Amy, Laura, and Emily \u2014 as well as his wife of 31 years, Joan Laxman.<\/p>\n

Adler didn\u2019t land his first role until his 60s\u2014a reminder that it\u2019s never too late to chase your dreams. He also impressed audiences with his memorable turn as a judge on\u00a0Law & Order<\/em>. Living a full life to the age of 96, he leaves behind a legacy of talent and inspiration. Rest in peace, Adler.\u00a0\"\ud83d\ude4f\"<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the brilliant, talented actors who helped make HBO\u2019s\u00a0The Sopranos\u00a0a cultural phenomenon has passed away. Jerry Adler, the beloved actor who brought Hesh Rabkin to life, has died at … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/realnewsz13.store\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/realnewsz13.store\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/realnewsz13.store\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/realnewsz13.store\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/realnewsz13.store\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2561"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/realnewsz13.store\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2562,"href":"https:\/\/realnewsz13.store\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2561\/revisions\/2562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/realnewsz13.store\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/realnewsz13.store\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/realnewsz13.store\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}