Jerry Adler, The Sopranos And The Good Wife Actor, Dead At 96

Veteran actor Jerry Adler, who starred in shows like The Sopranos, The Good Wife and Rescue Me, has died. He was 96.

Adler's death was confirmed by his family and friends Saturday.

"The great actor, my friend Jerry Adler died today at the age of 96," his friend Frank J. Reilly wrote on X. "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."

In HBO's The Sopranos, Adler played consigliere Hesh Rabkin, a Jewish associate of Tony Soprano's who helps guide the mafia boss. In The Good Wife and its offshoot The Good Fight, the actor played Equity partner Howard Lyman, who was invited back to the firm to help Diane and Will outvote Derrick Bond. In FX's Rescue Me, the actor recurred as New York Fire Department deputy chief Sidney Feinberg.

Adler's other TV credits include Mad About You, Transparent, Mozart in the Jungle, Raising Dad and Hudson Street, in addition to one-off appearances on Spin City, Law & Order and Broad City. On the film side of things, he starred in Manhattan Murder Mystery, In Her Shoes, Getting Away With Murder and more.

Before his career as an actor, Adler had a behind-the-scenes career in theater, working in over 50 Broadway plays. He notably was the stage manager for the 1956 original production of My Fair Lady starring a young Julie Andrews. He was also stage manager for the NBC soap opera Santa Barbara from 1986-1992.