Jerry Adler, actor in The Sopranos and The Good Wife, dies aged 96

"Among Adler's acting credits are The Sopranos, on which he played Tony Soprano adviser Hesh Rabkin across all six seasons, and The Good Wife, where he played law partner Howard Lyman. But before Adler had ever stepped in front of a film or television camera, he had 53 Broadway productions to his name all behind the scenes, serving as a stage manager, producer or director."

"After a long theater career, which included the original production of My Fair Lady and working with the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Julie Andrews and Richard Burton, among many others, Adler left Broadway during its 1980s slump. He moved to California, where he worked on television productions such as the soap opera Santa Barbara. I was really getting into the twilight of a mediocre career, he told the New York Times in 1992."

Jerry Adler worked behind the scenes on Broadway for decades, accumulating credits on 53 productions as a stage manager, producer and director. He came from a family rooted in Jewish and Yiddish theater; his father Philip Adler managed Group Theatre and Broadway productions, and his cousin Stella Adler was a noted acting teacher. Adler's theater career included the original My Fair Lady and collaborations with Marlene Dietrich, Julie Andrews and Richard Burton. He left Broadway during the 1980s slump, moved to California to work in television, and later transitioned to acting with roles including Hesh Rabkin on The Sopranos. He died peacefully in his sleep at 96; no immediate cause was given.

Read at www.theguardian.com