Entertainment
Jerry Adler, ‘Sopranos’ and ‘The Good Wife’ actor who spent decades backstage on Broadway, dies at 96
Jerry Adler, who spent decades behind the scenes of storied Broadway productions before pivoting to acting in his 60s, has died at 96.
Adler died Saturday, according to a brief family announcement confirmed by the Riverside Memorial Chapel in New York. Adler “passed peacefully in his sleep,” Paradigm Talent Agency’s Sarah Shulman said on behalf of his family. No immediate cause was given.
Among Adler’s acting credits are “The Sopranos,” on which he played Tony Soprano adviser Hesh Rabkin across all six seasons, and “The Good Wife,” where he played law partner Howard Lyman. But before Adler had ever stepped in front of a film or television camera, he had 53 Broadway productions to his name — all behind the scenes, serving as a stage manager, producer or director.
He hailed from an entertainment family with deep roots in Jewish and Yiddish theater, as he told the Jewish Ledger in 2014. His father, Philip Adler, was a general manager for the famed Group Theatre and Broadway productions, and his cousin Stella Adler was a legendary acting teacher.
“I’m a creature of nepotism,” Adler told TheaterMania in 2015. “I got my first job when I was at Syracuse University and my father, the general manager of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, called me (because) there was an opening for an assistant stage manager. I skipped school.”
After a long theater career, which included the original production of “My Fair Lady” and working with the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Julie Andrews and Richard Burton, among many others, Adler left Broadway during its 1980s slump. He moved to California, where he worked on television productions like the soap opera “Santa Barbara.”
“I was really getting into the twilight of a mediocre career,” he told The New York Times in 1992.
But the retirement he was contemplating was staved off when Donna Isaacson, the casting director for “The Public Eye” and a longtime friend of one of Adler’s daughters, had a hunch about how to cast a hard-to-fill role, as The New York Times reported then. Adler had been on the other side of auditions, and, curious to experience how actors felt, agreed to try out. Director Howard Franklin, who auditioned dozens of actors for the role of a newspaper columnist in the Joe Pesci-starring film, had “chills” when Adler read for the part, the newspaper reported.
So began an acting career that had him working consistently in front of the camera for more than 30 years. An early role on the David Chase-written “Northern Exposure” paved the way for his time on a future Chase project, “The Sopranos.”
“When David was going to do the pilot for ‘The Sopranos’ he called and asked me if I would do a cameo of Hesh. It was just supposed to be a one-shot,” he told Forward in 2015. “But when they picked up the show they liked the character, and I would come on every fourth week.”
Films included Woody Allen’s “Manhattan Murder Mystery,” but Adler was perhaps best known for his television work. Those credits included stints on “Rescue Me,” “Mad About You,” “Transparent” and guest spots on shows ranging from “The West Wing” to “Broad City.”
He even returned to Broadway, this time onstage, in Elaine May’s “Taller Than a Dwarf” in 2000. In 2015, he appeared in Larry David’s writing and acting stage debut, “Fish in the Dark.”
“I do it because I really enjoy it. I think retirement is a road to nowhere,” Adler told Forward, on the subject of the play. “I wouldn’t know what to do if I were retired. I guess if nobody calls anymore, that’s when I’ll be retired. Meanwhile this is great.”
Adler published a memoir, “Too Funny for Words: Backstage Tales from Broadway, Television and the Movies,” last year. “I’m ready to go at a moment’s notice,” he told CT Insider then, when asked if he’d take more acting roles. In recent years, he and his wife, Joan Laxman, relocated from Connecticut back to his hometown of New York. Survivors include his four daughters, Shulman said.
For Adler, who once thought he was “too goofy-looking” to act, seeing himself on screen was odd, at least initially. And in multiple interviews with various outlets, he expressed how strange it was to be recognized by the public after spending so many years working behind the scenes. There was at least one advantage to being preserved on film, though, as he told The New York Times back in 1992.
“I’m immortal,” he said.
- Pakistan reaffirms “shoulder to shoulder” support for Saudi Arabia.
- PM, MBS discuss regional situation during nearly two-hour meeting.
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia review bilateral ties and strategic cooperation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his sincere appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s consistent support for Pakistan’s economic stability during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Prime Minister called on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is also the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in Jeddah this evening. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was also present at the meeting.
According to the PMO, the two leaders held detailed discussions during a warm and cordial meeting that lasted almost two hours, focusing on the evolving regional situation as well as bilateral relations.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed full solidarity and support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the wake of recent regional escalation, saying that “the people of Pakistan stand shoulder to shoulder with our Saudi brethren.” He also conveyed deep condolences over the loss of precious lives.
He appreciated what he described as the Kingdom’s “exemplary patience and restraint,” adding that the Crown Prince’s leadership during the current crisis “has been a source of strength for all peace-loving people in the Kingdom and beyond.”
The Prime Minister also shared recent developments related to Pakistan’s peace efforts, including those that led to the US–Iran ceasefire and the recently held round of historic talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad. He noted that “Pakistan and the Kingdom enjoy a unique relationship as strategic defence partners under the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement.”
He further expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s continued support of Pakistan’s economic stability, describing it as “deeply appreciated.”
Both leaders also exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to continued close cooperation.
Demi Moore is continuing her remarkable career resurgence, signing on for the new culinary thriller Tyrant alongside Charlize Theron and Julia Garner.
Variety broke the news exclusively, reporting that Moore has accepted a key role in the high-stakes film set within New York City’s elite fine dining scene.
David Weil, known for Amazon series Hunters and Invasion, will write and direct, working from a script he developed with Cody Behan.
Production is expected to begin within weeks in Los Angeles, having secured a California Film Tax Credit.
The film will be produced by Theron alongside her Secret Menu partners Beth Kono and A.J. Dix, as well as The Picture Company’s Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona.
Weil produces with partner Natalie Laine Williams, with Stan Wlodkowski serving as executive producer.
Moore arrives at this project on the back of one of the strongest periods of her career.
Her performance in The Substance, in which she played a fading star who takes a mysterious drug to reclaim her youth, earned her a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award, as well as an Oscar nomination.
She will next be seen in Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters in late May, and currently stars in the top-rated Taylor Sheridan series Landman.
United States (U.S.) Navy has effectively implemented the naval blockade of Iran and has turned back nine ships in just the first 48 hours of the blockade.
The blockade was announced by the U.S. President Donald Trump after Iran and U.S. officials failed to reach an agreement during Islamabad Talks, on Sunday, in Pakistan.
In an update on Wednesday, April 15, 2025, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) that vessel reversed course without the need to fire shots, adding that at least five of those ships were carrying oil.
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said that an estimated 90% of the Iranian economy is fueled by trade through sea, adding, “U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea.”
Thousands of U.S. service members, including 5,000 Sailors and Marines from the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, are carrying out operations to enforce the blockade of ships entering and departing Iranian ports.
CENTCOM said: “U.S. forces are present, vigilant, and ready to ensure compliance.”
It warned that the American forces were ready to act against any vessel trying to violate the blockade.
Pakistan, acting as a mediator, is attempting to secure a cessation of hostilities between both countries and have intensified its diplomatic efforts. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir arrived in Tehran to arrange a second round of talks.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also embarked on an official diplomatic visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye in a bid to end the Iran war.
Pine Labs, Groww & more: Top stocks to watch on April 16 – The Times of India
Man City mark Pep Guardiola’s decade as manager with clothing range
PM hails Saudi economic support, highlights US-Iran peace efforts in MBS meeting
-
Fashion1 week agoIndia’s exports face reset as EU links trade to carbon metrics: EY
-
Entertainment1 week agoLamar Odom shocking response to Khloé Kardashian account of his overdose
-
Entertainment1 week agoQueen Elizabeth II emotional message for Archie, Lilibet sparks speculation
-
Tech1 week agoAzure customers up in arms over ‘full’ UK South region | Computer Weekly
-
Tech1 week agoAs the Strait of Hormuz Reopens, Global Shipping Will Take Months to Recover
-
Fashion1 week agoCII submits 20-pt agenda to Indian govt to back firms hit by Iran war
-
Tech7 days agoThis AI Button Wearable From Ex-Apple Engineers Looks Like an iPod Shuffle
-
Politics6 days agoIndian airlines hit hardest after Dubai limits foreign flights until May 31