Jerry Adler, the actor known for his roles in The Sopranos, The Good Wife, and more, is dead at 96.
“Jerry Adler passed away on August 23, 2025, at the age of 96,” his family shared in an online obituary. “Born on February 4, 1929, Jerry was a resident of New York, New York.”
On X, Adler’s friend, Frank J. Reilly, posted a tribute alongside photos of the actor.
“The great actor, my friend Jerry Adler died today at the age of 96,” Reilly confirmed. “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.”
The great actor, my friend Jerry Adler died today at the age of 96. 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. Check out his IMDb page. https://t.co/BeOLeEliOb pic.twitter.com/fnbB8soWy4
— Frank J. Reilly 🌻 (@FrankJReilly1) August 23, 2025
Adler actually made his acting debut at 62 in the TV series Brooklyn Bridge in 1991. He went on to appear in Woody Allen‘s Manhattan Murder Mystery before starring in Alright Already, Hudson Street and other TV shows in the ’90s.
In HBO’s The Sopranos, Adler played Herman “Hesh” Rabkin, mafia boss Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) adviser, from 1999 to 2007. He also portrayed Howard Lyman in the CBS series The Good Wife from 2011 to 2016 and in its spinoff, The Good Fight, for two episodes in 2017 and 2018. Additionally, Adler had a recurring role as Sidney Feinberg in FX’s Rescue Me.
Robert King, an executive producer of The Good Wife and The Good Fight, also penned a tribute to Adler in the wake of his death.