Jerry Adler, Veteran Actor from “The Sopranos,” Passes Away at 96

Jerry Adler, best known for his role as mob advisor Herman “Hesh” Lovekin in HBO’s “The Sopranos,” died in New York City on Saturday, according to his family.

At the time of his passing, he was 96 years old. Adler’s portrayal of Hesh was memorable, and he appeared in all six seasons of the show, delivering the iconic line “A Hit Is a Hit” in its first season. Born in Brooklyn, he had a fascinating career that began in stage management on Broadway before transitioning to television. Over the years, he appeared in 28 episodes of “The Sopranos.”

Before stepping into the spotlight, Adler worked behind the scenes on the original Broadway production of “My Fair Lady.” He was also related to the esteemed acting coach Stella Adler and later took on roles in films like Woody Allen’s “Manhattan Murder Mystery” and Charlie Kaufman’s “Synecdoche, New York.”

While he had a diverse career, it was television that brought Adler widespread recognition. Beyond “The Sopranos,” he had roles in series like “The Good Wife” and its spinoff “The Good Fight,” as well as in “Rescue Me,” where he was a regular for nine years.

Showrunner Robert King shared his thoughts about Adler’s impact, revealing that although he was initially set to appear in just one episode of “The Good Wife,” his performance in a diner scene was so compelling that they brought him back for more work.

Reflecting on his later fame in a 2017 interview, Adler noted the irony of finally being recognized after a long career behind the scenes. “You spend your entire career and no one knows who you are… And then you do a TV show, and all of a sudden you’re a celebrity,” he remarked.

His family confirmed he was a resident of New York at the time of his death.