Sopranos star Jerry Adler died peacefully in his sleep in New York City, a spokesperson for the veteran actor has revealed.
The Brooklyn-born actor died on Saturday. He was 96.
“He passed peacefully in his sleep in New York City and is survived by his four daughters — Alisa, Amy, Laura and Emily,” Adler’s spokesperson told Page Six.
The cause of death was not immediately known.
Born Feb. 4, 1929, Adler spent much of his life behind the scenes as a Broadway producer, working as a theater hand, stage manager and director, including working on the original “My Fair Lady.”
After moving to California in the 1980s to be closer to his children, he took work on soap operas before suddenly finding fame in his 60s when he was cast in 1992’s “The Public Eye” alongside Joe Pesci.
He was best known for playing Herman “Hesh” Rabkin in HBO’s “The Sopranos,” and also had recurring roles in “The Good Wife” and “Rescue Me.”
Steven Van Zandt, Adler’s Sopranos co-star, was among those who paid tribute to the late star.
“Such an honor working with you. Travel well my friend,” Zandt wrote on social media.
“The Good Wife” creator Robert King said Adler was only meant to be in one episode, but he was so funny that they ended up giving him a full-time role.
“The intent was only to have him for one episode of THE GOOD WIFE, but he was so funny in a diner scene, yelling ‘I said ice cream, you stupid bitch’ we had him back for six years of Good Wife and three years of Good Fight,” King wrote on social media, adding that Adler was “One of our favorite collaborators.”
