Jerry Adler Bio
Jerome Elliott Adler (February 4, 1929 – August 23, 2025) was an American actor, theatrical producer, and director whose career spanned more than six decades. He became widely recognized for his role as Herman “Hesh” Rabkin on The Sopranos and as lawyer Howard Lyman on The Good Wife and The Good Fight. Adler also contributed to films such as Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Public Eye, In Her Shoes, and Prime, while building a respected résumé on the Broadway stage. His versatility across stage, film, and television made him a familiar and dependable presence in American entertainment.
Early Life and Background
Jerome Elliott Adler was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on February 4, 1929, to Jewish parents Philip Adler and Pauline “Polly” Goldberg. His father, Philip Adler, served as a theater manager for dozens of Broadway and touring productions from the 1930s through the 1960s. Philip Adler also worked as the general manager of the Group Theatre collective in New York and managed productions for producers Herman Levin and Alexander H. Cohen. Growing up in a Yiddish-speaking, observant Jewish household gave young Jerome a deep connection to theater traditions that shaped his future career.
Adler came from a family with deep roots in American theater. His great-uncle was the famous Yiddish theater actor Jacob Pavlovich Adler, whose children Stella Adler and Luther Adler became his cousins. The household’s daily connection to Broadway and touring shows gave Jerome an early, firsthand view of how productions were built from rehearsal to opening night. He attended Samuel J. Tilden High School in Brooklyn, where he served as president of the Dramatic Club and sharpened his interest in performance. He later continued his studies at Syracuse University, where he prepared for a professional life in the performing arts.
Path to Celebrity
Influenced by his family’s long history in the theater, Adler began his professional career as a stage manager in 1950. His early backstage work included the productions Of Thee I Sing and My Fair Lady, which taught him the discipline and craft required for large-scale stage management. He soon advanced to the role of production supervisor, working on Broadway shows such as The Apple Tree, Black Comedy/White Lies, Dear World, Coco, 6 Rms Riv Vu, Annie, and I Remember Mama. These years behind the scenes gave him a thorough understanding of casting, pacing, and stagecraft.
Adler made his directing debut with the 1974 Sammy Cahn revue Words and Music. He went on to direct the 1976 revival of My Fair Lady, which earned him a Drama Desk Award nomination, and the 1976 play Checking Out. He also directed the ill-fated 1981 musical The Little Prince and the Aviator, along with Drat! The Cat! and a 1976 revival of Hellzapoppin starring Jerry Lewis. His directorial work on Richard Rodgers’ final musical, I Remember Mama, further cemented his standing on Broadway.
Jerry Adler Career
Early Career (1950–1990)
For nearly four decades, Adler worked primarily behind the scenes as a stage manager, production supervisor, and director. His production supervision of major Broadway hits established him as a trusted name in New York theater. The 1976 revival of My Fair Lady brought him his first major industry recognition in the form of a Drama Desk Award nomination. These formative years laid the groundwork for his later transition in front of the camera.
Adler’s first on-screen acting role came in 1991 with the television series Brooklyn Bridge, marking the start of a second career as a performer. The following year, he appeared in the film The Public Eye, expanding his résumé to include motion pictures. He also took on a recurring role in the television series Northern Exposure as Alan Schulman, Joel Fleischman’s old neighborhood rabbi seen in visions.
Breakthrough (1999–2019)
Adler’s most recognizable role arrived in 1999 when he was cast as Herman “Hesh” Rabkin on The Sopranos, an associate of the DiMeo crime family. Series creator David Chase, who had worked with Adler on Northern Exposure, asked him to join the cast. Adler played the role from 1999 to 2007 and is perhaps best known for this portrayal. He later took on the role of lawyer Howard Lyman on The Good Wife and reprised the character on its spin-off series The Good Fight.
He also became a familiar face in other television hits, including Mr. Wicker on Mad About You, Bob Saget’s character’s father Sam Stewart on Raising Dad, and Lt. Al Teischler on Hudson Street. Additional guest roles included an episode of The West Wing as Toby Ziegler’s father, Jules Ziegler, and the new chief Sidney Feinberg in the fourth season of FX’s firefighter drama Rescue Me. He guest-starred as Eddie’s father Al in season three and season four of ‘Til Death.
From 2017 to 2019, Adler played Moshe Pfefferman, the father of Jeffrey Tambor’s character, on the Amazon series Transparent. In 2019, he portrayed Saul Horowitz on Broad City and Hillston on Living with Yourself alongside Paul Rudd. His film screen credits also include Manhattan Murder Mystery, In Her Shoes, Prime, and a 2014 turn as Joseph Mendelsohn in A Most Violent Year opposite Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac. In 2000, he made his first appearance on stage as a performer, and he later acted in Larry David’s Broadway play Fish in the Dark.
Notable Works and Milestones
Adler’s signature roles include Herman “Hesh” Rabkin on The Sopranos, Howard Lyman on The Good Wife and The Good Fight, and Moshe Pfefferman on Transparent. In 2024, he published a memoir titled Too Funny for Words: Backstage Tales from Broadway, Television and the Movies, reflecting on his decades of work. His 2014 performance in A Most Violent Year and his Broadway work on Fish in the Dark rounded out a remarkably varied career.
Jerry Adler Award Nominations
Jerry Adler received a Drama Desk Award nomination for directing the 1976 revival of My Fair Lady on Broadway. This recognition from the Drama Desk organization highlighted his skill as a stage director and remains one of the most notable honors of his early directing career. Beyond this nomination, his reputation was built on a steady body of work across stage and screen rather than a long list of formal award nominations.
Jerry Adler Awards Won
Jerry Adler’s career was defined more by the breadth and longevity of his work than by a long list of trophy wins. Publicly verified records confirm a Drama Desk Award nomination for his 1976 direction of My Fair Lady, with no additional award wins documented in the available sources. His lasting recognition came through beloved character roles on series such as The Sopranos, The Good Wife, and Transparent.
Jerry Adler Family
Adler was born into a deeply theatrical Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Philip Adler, was a noted theater manager who oversaw Broadway and touring productions for decades, while his mother was Pauline “Polly” Goldberg. His great-uncle was the legendary Yiddish theater actor Jacob Pavlovich Adler, whose children Stella Adler and Luther Adler became his cousins. Adler was survived by his daughter, Laura Adler, his grandson, Joe Adler, and other family members who carried on the family’s connection to the performing arts.
Personal Life
Jerry Adler was first married to Dolores Parker from 1950 until their divorce in 1974. He later married Cathy Rice in 1978, and the couple eventually divorced as well. In 1994, he married Joan Laxman, and the couple remained together in his later years. He was the father of four children, including his daughter Laura Adler, and his grandson Joe Adler also pursued a path in the entertainment industry. Adler died at his home in Manhattan, New York City, on August 23, 2025, at the age of 96.