Jerry Adler, best known for his role as Herman “Hesh” Rabkin on The Sopranos, has passed away at the age of 96.
According to the Associated Press, Adler died on Saturday (Aug. 23) in New York City. No cause of death has been shared.
Born on Feb. 4, 1929, Adler first made his mark in theater, working behind the scenes as a stage manager, producer, and director on more than 50 Broadway productions. By the 1980s, he had relocated to California, where he began picking up television work, including a stint on the soap opera Santa Barbara.
His on-screen acting career kicked off in 1991 with a role on Brooklyn Bridge, and he later appeared in projects such as The Public Eye and Northern Exposure.
Adler’s breakout moment came in 1999 when he was cast as Hesh Rabkin on HBO’s The Sopranos. Originally intended as a one-time cameo, his role grew into a recurring part that ran until the series ended in 2007. In a 2015 interview with Forward, Adler explained that creator David Chase, who had worked with him on Northern Exposure, personally invited him to join the mob drama.
Beyond his television success, Adler reflected on his long career in his 2024 memoir Too Funny for Words: Backstage Tales from Broadway, Television and the Movies, where he hinted that even in his 90s, he wasn’t done performing.
