‘The Sopranos’ Star Jerry Adler Dies at 96

The Sopranos star Jerry Adler has died at the age of 96.

The Associated Press reports that the actor, who’s best known for his roles in The Sopranos, Rescue Me, and The Good Wife, died on Saturday (Aug. 23) in New York City. His cause of death has not been released.

Born on Feb. 4, 1929, Adler began his acting career in theater, appearing in 53 Broadway productions in behind-the-scenes roles like stage manager, producer, and director. In the 1980s, he moved to California, where he began working on TV shows like the soap opera, Santa Barbara.

In 1991, Adler got his first acting role on the series Brooklyn Bridge. Over the years, he appeared in various shows and films like The Public Eye and Northern Exposure.

Adler’s most well-known role was Herman “Hesh” Rabkin in The Sopranos, which he played from 1999 to 2007.

In an interview with Forward in 2015, Alder explained how appearing in Northern Exposure, which was written by screenwriter David Chase, led to him being cast in The Sopranos.

“When David was going to do the pilot for The Sopranos, he called and asked me if I would do a cameo of Hesh. It was just supposed to be a one-shot,” he said. “But when they picked up the show, they liked the character, and I would come on every fourth week.”

In 2024, Adler published a memoir about his experiences, Too Funny for Words: Backstage Tales from Broadway Television and the Movies. At the time, he insinuated that he was ready to continue acting.