Jerry Adler, of Sopranos Fame, Dies at 96

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“Jerry Adler passed away on August 23, 2025, at the age of 96. Born on February 4, 1929, Jerry was a resident of New York, New York,” reads the short message from Adler’s family online. Adler’s friend Frank J. Reilly posted a few photos of Adler over the years as well, writing, “Not bad for a guy who didn’t start acting until he was 65.”

The great actor, my friend Jerry Adler died today at the age of 96. You know him from one of his iconic roles had from many of his guest appearances. Not bad for a guy who didn’t start acting until he was 65. Check out his IMDb page. https://t.co/BeOLeEliOb pic.twitter.com/fnbB8soWy4
— Frank J. Reilly 🌻 (@FrankJReilly1) August 23, 2025

Adler may be most recognizable from his role on The Sopranos, where he played Tony’s (James Gandolfini) friend and advisor Herman “Hesh” Rabkin. Hesh was a loan shark who worked with Tony’s father before him, and offered the mob boss helpful advice and perspective when asked. He was also Jewish, and the show made a point of highlighting the ways his culture intersected and contrasted with Tony’s.

Adler may have come to fame later in life, but he was immersed in show business from a young age. His father was a theater manager for many lauded Broadway shows, as well as touring productions, and he followed his father into that line of work after college. Years later, he would try his hand at directing, then take those skills to TV before finally taking his first acting role in 1991, on the sitcom Brooklyn Bridge.

Some of Adler’s notable credits include playing Saul Horowitz on Broad City, Moshe Pfefferman on Transparent, Sidney Feinberg on Rescue Me, Howard Lyman on both The Good Wife and The Good Fight, and Mr. Wicker on Mad About You — both the original and the reboot. Adler wrote a memor about his career, which was just published last year. It’s titled Too Funny for Words: Backstage Tales from Broadway, Television and the Movies.

Adler clearly left an impression on fans everywhere, as comments continue to roll in on his obituary and on social media. Many are planning to revisit their favorite performance by Adler this weekend, including The Sopranos on HBO Max.