Jerry Adler, a veteran of Broadway’s behind-the-scenes world who later became a beloved actor, passed away at 96 on August 24, 2025, in New York, as confirmed by the Riverside Memorial Chapel. Before his acting career, Adler worked on over 50 Broadway productions as a stage manager, producer, or director, including the original “My Fair Lady.”

His transition to acting began in his 60s when a casting director’s hunch led to a role in the film “The Public Eye,” sparking a 30-year on-screen career. Adler was best known for playing Hesh Rabkin, a trusted adviser to Tony Soprano, across all six seasons of “The Sopranos,” and Howard Lyman on “The Good Wife.” He also appeared in shows like “Rescue Me,” “Mad About You,” and “Transparent.” In 2024, he published a memoir, “Too Funny for Words: Backstage Tales from Broadway, Television and the Movies,” reflecting on his extensive career.

Adler, who initially thought himself “too goofy-looking” to act, found public recognition strange after years backstage but embraced his late-life stardom. He is survived by his wife, Joan Laxman, and four daughters, having recently returned to his hometown of New York from Connecticut.