Former The Sopranos and The Good Wife star Jerry Adler passed away on Saturday. He was 96 years old.
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The actor’s family released his obituary. “Jerry Adler passed away on August 23, 2025, at the age of 96,” the obituary read. “Born on February 4, 1929, Jerry was a resident of New York, New York.”
Adler’s friend, Frank J. Reilly, took to X (formerly Twitter) to pay tribute. “The great actor, my friend Jerry Adler, died today at the age of 96,” Reilly wrote. “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.”
According to IMDb, Adler made his onscreen acting debut in 1991, at the age of 62. He appeared in the series Brooklyn Bridges. Two years later, he starred in Woody Allen’s Murder Mystery and landed the leads in other ’90s shows, including Alright Already and Hudson Street.
He became a household name for his role in HBO’s iconic crime drama The Sopranos, in which he played Herman “Hesh” Rabkin, a trusted adviser to James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano.
Adler first appeared in the show’s pilot in 1999 and stayed on until the final season.
Jerry Adler Passed Away Months After Fellow Sopranos Actor Charley Scalies’ Death
Adler’s death occurred just a few months after another Sopranos actor Charley Scalies, died following a “long battle” with Alzheimer’s disease.
Scalies was 84 years old at the time of his death. His daughter, Anne Marie Scalies, confirmed his passing to The Hollywood Reporter.
The late actor played Tony Soprano’s former high school coach in season 5 of The Sopranos. Like Adler, Scalies went into acting later in life. He made his film debut in the 1995 movie Two Bits, starring Al Pacino.
Scalies’ acting credits further include roles in 12 Monkeys and Jersey Girl. He also appeared in numerous episodes of the Law & Order franchise.