Jerry Adler, the Jewish actor best known for his role as Herman “Hesh” Rabkin on "The Sopranos," has died at 96.
His friend Frank J. Reilly confirmed the news on the X platform, writing: “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.”
A New York native and cousin of legendary acting teacher Stella Adler, Adler gained fame for playing the Jewish-American businessman and adviser to Tony Soprano, portrayed by the late James Gandolfini, in 28 episodes of the acclaimed series. While he had other screen roles from 1991 onward, it was Hesh Rabkin who cemented his place in television history.
Before acting, Adler had a distinguished theater career behind the scenes. Beginning in the 1950s, he worked as a producer, stage manager and director on Broadway. He only began performing as an actor in the 1960s.
On television, in addition to "The Sopranos," Adler appeared in "The Good Wife" and its follow-up, "The Good Fight," "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," "Transparent," "Rescue Me" alongside Denis Leary, and numerous other series.