Actor Jerry Adler, best known for playing consigliere Herman 'Hesh' Rabkin in The Sopranos, has died aged 96.
Although he found fame on the small screen, Adler did not start acting until his early 60s - as he was preparing to retire from an illustrious behind-the-scenes Broadway career.
The theatre veteran worked alongside stars including Julie Andrews, Angela Lansbury and Richard Burton during more than three decades in the industry.
The Brooklyn-born actor "passed peacefully in his sleep" on Saturday, representatives said on behalf of his family, according to the Associated Press and Fox News.
Adler worked as a stage manager, supervisor and director on more than 50 Broadway productions - after being offered his first job by his father, who worked in the industry, while at university.
