There are some careers that take unexpected turns, unfolding in ways that even the person living them never could have imagined.

What begins behind the curtain can, with time, move to the center of the stage, and sometimes what feels like a winding path leads to a destiny that surprises both audiences and the performer.

The story of one longtime theater figure shows how persistence, chance, and love for the craft can shape a life well-lived.

It is a reminder that passion, even discovered late, can carry someone further than they ever expected.



Jerry Adler, who died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 96, spent decades building his name backstage before stepping into the spotlight as a familiar face on film and television.

His passing was confirmed by Paradigm Talent Agency on behalf of his family, with no immediate cause of death provided.

Adler’s most widely known work came later in life when he played adviser Hesh Rabkin across all six seasons of The Sopranos and law partner Howard Lyman on The Good Wife, but his roots were firmly planted in Broadway, where he contributed to 53 productions as stage manager, producer, or director.


His early life was shaped by his family’s long ties to theater, with his father working as a general manager for the Group Theatre and his cousin Stella Adler known as one of the most influential acting teachers of her time.

He often joked about being a product of nepotism, recalling in a 2015 interview that his father called him while he was still at Syracuse University to say there was an opening as an assistant stage manager on Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which led him to skip school and begin his career in the industry.

That choice put him on a path to work on productions such as the original My Fair Lady and with stars like Marlene Dietrich, Julie Andrews, and Richard Burton.

After Broadway entered a slump in the 1980s, Adler shifted to television production in California, working on shows including Santa Barbara, and he admitted to The New York Times in 1992 that he felt he was “getting into the twilight of a mediocre career.”



Also read: Soap icon who played Lisa Grimaldi on "As the World Turns" for nearly 50 years, dies at 91

But fate stepped in when a casting director encouraged him to audition for a film role, and despite having spent years on the other side of auditions, he decided to give it a try.

When Adler read for director Howard Franklin, who had struggled to fill the role of a newspaper columnist in The Public Eye, the audition gave him chills, and that marked the beginning of a new chapter that would last for more than 30 years.

Soon afterward, Adler appeared on Northern Exposure, written by David Chase, which paved the way for his later role in The Sopranos.


He recalled that his appearance as Hesh was supposed to be only a cameo, but when the show was picked up, producers liked the character enough to bring him back regularly, sometimes every few weeks.

That role became one of his most recognizable, alongside appearances in Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery and a wide range of television credits such as Rescue Me, Mad About You, Transparent, The West Wing, and Broad City.

Even after his late-life television success, Adler returned to the stage with roles in Elaine May’s Taller Than a Dwarf in 2000 and Larry David’s Fish in the Dark in 2015.

He once said that he continued performing because he loved it, explaining, “I think retirement is a road to nowhere. I wouldn’t know what to do if I were retired. I guess if nobody calls anymore, that’s when I’ll be retired. Meanwhile this is great.”



Also read: Beloved Broadway and film icon who often starred in Woody Allen movies, passes away at 85

In 2023, he released his memoir Too Funny for Words: Backstage Tales from Broadway, Television and the Movies, reflecting on his long journey through the entertainment world.

By then, he and his wife had relocated from Connecticut back to New York, where he lived with family nearby, including his four daughters.

He once admitted that he thought he was “too goofy-looking” to act and felt strange seeing himself on screen, but audiences welcomed him, and his years of recognition after so long backstage remained surreal to him.

Still, he noted that being preserved on film gave him a sense of permanence, telling The New York Times in 1992, “I’m immortal.”

Read next: Broadway legend and "Scarface" actor dies suddenly at 88
Do you think it’s ever too late to start a new career? Have you known someone whose life took a surprising turn late in life? We’d love to hear your reflections and stories in the comments below.