‘The Sopranos’ Icon Jerry Adler Landed His Role Against Doctor’s Orders

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In this exclusive excerpt from Jerry Adler’s new memoir “Too Funny for Words,” the celebrated character actor reveals how he ended up playing Hesh on “The Sopranos.”

I was stricken with terrible stomach pains and went to my doctor in New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital. I wound up with gastric problems and required an operation. The recuperation was pleasant, Joan flew back, and I lay there, bandaged heavily, just as David Chase called. Alisa had given David my number but didn’t tell him where I was. He was quite friendly, we chatted about our days on.

All I had were the pages for the day. I had no idea what the subject was but after reading it through I got the drift: I was threatening someone about the money this man owed Tony Soprano. Remark- ably, the costumes laid out in the van were loose; a gymnasium-type sweatsuit and sneakers. It was exactly the kind of outfit that would hide the bandages around my stomach.

In my parlance, the scene was a quickie. Me and a character named Big Pussy, played by Vince Pastore, a well-known acting teacher and an old friend of mine from my Broadway days, had this scene on a bridge over a deep threatening gorge, with the obviously frightened guy. We did the scene a number of times, at different angles, and at no time was it ever discussed the rather large paunch Herman had.

Earlier, when I read the full script, I learned why David was so hell bent to have me play Herman. Herman was an old friend of Tony’s father who was in business with Herman, a Jew, which was frowned on in those days. In the scene he reports that Mahaffey has no money and has no wiggle-room to get it. Herman suggests a resolution which Tony elaborates on.

Source: Entertainment Trends (entertainmenttrends.net)

 

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