Broadway veteran turned TV star enjoyed a second career that lasted more than three decades
From Backstage to Broadway Legend
Jerry Adler, who died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday at the age of 96, spent the first part of his career behind the curtain rather than in front of it. Born into a family steeped in theater—his father, Philip Adler, was a Broadway general manager and his cousin Stella Adler a famed acting teacher—he got his start as an assistant stage manager while still at Syracuse University.
Over the decades, he worked on 53 Broadway productions as a stage manager, director, and producer, including the original My Fair Lady. He collaborated with stars like Julie Andrews, Richard Burton, and Marlene Dietrich before leaving Broadway during its 1980s slump.
A Late Start in Acting
By his own account, Adler thought he was nearing the end of a “mediocre career” when casting director Donna Isaacson persuaded him to audition for The Public Eye in 1992. Director Howard Franklin later recalled feeling “chills” during his audition, and Adler soon found himself on a new career path—this time as an actor.
Television quickly followed. He appeared on Northern Exposure before being cast by David Chase as mob adviser Hesh Rabkin in The Sopranos. Originally intended as a cameo, the role became a recurring presence across all six seasons. He later played Howard Lyman in The Good Wife and made appearances on Rescue Me, Transparent, Mad About You, The West Wing, and Broad City. His film work included Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery.
Lasting Legacy
Even after his TV success, Adler returned to Broadway as a performer in Elaine May’s Taller Than a Dwarf (2000) and Larry David’s Fish in the Dark (2015). “I think retirement is a road to nowhere,” he said. “I wouldn’t know what to do if I were retired.”
Adler published his memoir, Too Funny for Words: Backstage Tales from Broadway, Television, and the Movies, in 2023. He and his wife, Joan Laxman, had recently returned to New York after living in Connecticut. He is survived by four daughters.
Reflecting on his unlikely late-blooming career, Adler once said: “I thought I was too goofy-looking to act. But now I’m immortal.”
