Jerry Adler was known for his role as Hesh in "The Sopranos". Photo / Getty Images
Jerry Adler feared his career was coming to an end before his acting comeback.
The Sopranos actor has died at the age of 96, and an interview has since resurfaced in which he admitted he thought he was headed for retirement years before his passing.
He told The New York Times in 1992: “I was really getting into the twilight of a mediocre career.”
But the retirement he was contemplating was put on hold when Donna Isaacson, the casting director for the 1992 film The Public Eye and a long-time friend of one of Jerry’s daughters, invited him to audition for the movie.
He landed a lead role in the crime thriller film, produced by Sue Baden-Powell and written and directed by Howard Franklin, starring Joe Pesci and Barbara Hershey.
Jerry Adler died yesterday. The intent was only to have him for one episode of THE GOOD WIFE, but he was so funny in a diner scene, yelling “I said ice cream, you stupid bitch” we had him back for six years of Good Wife and three years of Good Fight. One of our favorite… pic.twitter.com/D9rLPdIYA4
— Robert King (@RKing618) August 24, 2025
The film is loosely based on New York Daily News photographer Arthur “Weegee” Fellig, and some of the photos in the film were taken by the snapper, played by Pesci in the film.
Adler went on to become best known for his role as Herman “Hesh” Rabkin in the acclaimed drama series The Sopranos.
At the weekend, his friend Frank J Reilly posted on X: “The great actor, my friend Jerry Adler, died today at the age of 96.
“You know him from one of his iconic roles, which he had from many of his guest appearances. 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
Jerry also starred as Howard Lyman in drama series The Good Wife and spin-off The Good Fight and as the New York fire chief Sidney Feinberg in the FX series Rescue Me.
The actor was the cousin of the legendary acting teacher Stella Adler and spent much of his career working in theatre.
New York native Jerry was a part of more than 50 Broadway productions and worked as the stage manager on the original stage production of My Fair Lady in 1956, which starred a young Julie Andrews.
He took up acting later in life and appeared in films such as Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery.
Adler said in a 2017 interview about his career taking off as a mature man: “You spend your whole career backstage.
Nobody knows who you are or even knows your name. They don’t know anything about you.
“And then you do a television show and suddenly you’re a celebrity and everyone knows your face. It’s so weird.”
Adler’s Sopranos alter ego Hesh was a Jewish loan shark and a trusted adviser to Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini) – and the actor explained how he defied doctor’s orders to accept the part as he had to have an operation at the time.
He said: “I was stricken with terrible stomach pains and went to my doctor in New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital. I wound up with gastric problems and required an operation.”
RIP to Jerry Adler, who was a key production contributor to the original Broadway versions of “My Fair Lady” and “Fiddler on the Roof,” and later pivoted to acting. He was so memorable as Hesh in “The Sopranos.” What a career. pic.twitter.com/cazKjmjeJ9
— Richard Roeper (@RichardERoeper) August 24, 2025
Adler left the hospital the night before he was due to appear on set against medical advice and promptly returned after filming his scenes in order to continue his recovery.
The actor is survived by his wife, psychologist Joan Laxman, whom he had been married to since 1994.