Adler’s work spanned film, television and even Broadway, where he had 53 production credits to his name.
NEW YORK — Jerry Adler, who spent decades behind the scenes of storied Broadway productions before pivoting to acting in his 60s, has died at 96.
Adler passed away on Saturday, as noted in a brief family announcement which was verified by the Riverside Memorial Chapel in New York. According to Sarah Shulman of Paradigm Talent Agency, speaking on the family’s behalf, Adler “passed peacefully in his sleep.” The exact cause of death has not been disclosed.
Adler’s acting repertoire includes roles in “The Sopranos,” where he portrayed Tony Soprano’s adviser Hesh Rabkin throughout all six seasons, and “The Good Wife,” in which he played law partner Howard Lyman. Prior to his appearances on screen, Adler had already contributed to 53 Broadway productions, fulfilling roles such as stage manager, producer, or director, all behind the scenes.
Coming from a family deeply embedded in the world of Jewish and Yiddish theater, as he mentioned in an interview with the Jewish Ledger in 2014, Adler was well-rooted in the entertainment industry. His father, Philip Adler, served as a general manager for the renowned Group Theatre and Broadway shows, while his cousin Stella Adler became a legendary acting teacher.
Adler described himself as a beneficiary of nepotism, telling TheaterMania in 2015, “I’m a creature of nepotism.” He landed his initial job when he was studying at Syracuse University; his father, the general manager of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, called him about an opening for an assistant stage manager role, leading Adler to leave school.
Following a significant career in theater, which included involvement in the original run of “My Fair Lady” and collaborations with iconic figures such as Marlene Dietrich, Julie Andrews, and Richard Burton, Adler departed Broadway during its decline in the 1980s. He relocated to California and began working on television productions such as the soap opera “Santa Barbara.”
“I was really getting into the twilight of a mediocre career,” he told The New York Times in 1992.
The retirement Adler had planned was postponed due to a suggestion from Donna Isaacson, the casting director for “The Public Eye” and a longstanding friend of Adler’s daughter. As reported by The New York Times, Isaacson thought Adler would fit a challenging role. Driven by curiosity about the actors’ perspective, he decided to audition. Director Howard Franklin, after auditioning numerous actors for the newspaper columnist role in the Joe Pesci-led film, felt “chills” when Adler read, as the newspaper noted.
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.
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