Jerry Adler, Star of 'The Sopranos' and 'The Good Wife,' Dead at 96

Jerry Adler, the veteran theater stage manager who launched a second career as a familiar character actor in film and television—most notably as Herman "Hesh" Rabkin on HBO 's The Sopranos —died this week at age 96, his family announced and confirmed by the Riverside Memorial Chapel in New York.

Why It Matters

Adler's career illustrated an uncommon path in American entertainment—a half-century as a Broadway stage manager, director and producer, followed by a decades-long run as a character actor on high-profile television dramas and comedies.

That arc connected the backstage history of mid-20th-century Broadway to contemporary television's so-called Golden Age, making him a living link across generations of performers and productions.

What To Know

Adler was born in Brooklyn in 192