Great American actor, star of such films as Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas, all four directed by Martin Scorsese, The Godfather. The Deer Hunter by Michael Cimino, Once Upon a Time in America by Sergio Leone, The Mission by Roland Joffé and many more are turning eighty.
Born in New York in 1943, after studying at the American Workshop and the Stella Conservatory, Adler made his film debut in a small role (in which he is not even credited) in Three rooms in Manhattan (1965) Marcel Carnet.
Four years later, he plays a supporting role in Newlyweds (1969) by Brian De Palma, from which he would also be directed to Hi, Mom! (1970). However, his true acting abilities will be revealed three years later in evil streets (1973) Martin Scorsese, with whom he would begin a very creative and lucrative artistic collaboration.
In later years, he would be regarded as one of the most personable American actors, also due to his rigor in preparing and documenting the films he plays.
After the young Vito Corleone in The Godfather – Part 2 (1974) Francis Ford Coppola, with whom he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, gives life to the troubling Travis of Taxi driver (1976) by Martin Scorsese with Jodie Foster and in the same year in twentieth century Bernardo Bertolucci, disillusioned Alfredo Berlinghieri, heir to a family of rural lords, crushed by the events of the Resistance and the civil war.
Very intense as Michael in Hunter (1978) by Michael Cimino in which he stars with Christopher Walken (Oscar as Best Supporting Actor), John Cazale (in his last film) and a young Meryl Streep in the second film (he debuted a year earlier in Julia Fred Zinnemann), great at wild bull (1980) M. Scorsese, in which he plays the Italian-American boxer Jake La Motta, world middleweight champion. The film, which is still one of Scorsese’s most successful, earns him a well-deserved Oscar for Best Actor. He does not concede in Once upon time in America (1984) by Sergio Leone in which he plays the poignant and controversial character Noodles.
Among other films, we note Clan Barker (1970) Roger Corman, Cursed Flower Children (1971) Noel Black My man is a scammer (1971) Ivan Passer with George Segal, The gang that couldn’t shoot (1971) James Goldstone, Beat the drum slowly (1973) John D. Hancock, Recent fires (1976) Elia Kazan, with Robert Mitchum and Tony Curtis, New York, New York(1977) Martin Scorsese, with Liza Minnelli King for the night (1982) M. Scorsese, Brazil (1985) Terry Gilliam, Mission (1986) Roland Joffé with Jeremy Irons Angel Heart – Elevator to Hell (1987) Alan Parker with Charlotte Rampling Untouchables (1987) by Brian De Palma with Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and Andy Garcia Until midnight (1988) Martin Brest, These good guys (1990) M. Scorsese, Cape Fear – Cape Fear (1991) M. Scorsese, with Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis, remake Cape Fear (1962) Jack Lee Thompson (with Gregory Peck, Robert Mitcham and Polly Bergen) Frankenstein Mary Shelley (1994) Kenneth Branagh One hundred and one nights (1995) Agnes Varda, Casino (1995) M. Scorsese, Heat is a challenge (1995) Michael Mann with Al Pacino Marvin’s room (1996) Jerry Zaks with L. DiCaprio and Diane Keaton, Sex and Power (1997) B. Levinson, Jackie Brown (1997) Quentin Tarantino ronin (1998) John Frankenheimer Men of Honor – Honor of men (2000) George Tillman Jr. I present mine (2000) Jay Roach 15 minutes – Murder in New York (2001) John Hertzfeld Glasses (2001) Frank Oz with Marlon Brando (in his last film) and Edward Norton, Guilty of murder (2002) Michael Caton-Jones Can you introduce me to yours? (2004) Jay Roach star dust (2007) Matthew Vaughn Disaster in Hollywood (2008) B. Levinson, It’s all right – it’s all right (2009) Kirk Jones Professional (2011) Gary Mackendry Freelancers (2012) Jesse Terrero, Cose nostra – Underworld (2013) Luc Besson American Hustle: Looks can be deceiving (2013) David O. Russell, big match (2013) Peter Segal Motel (2014) David Grovic Bus 657 (2015) Scott Mann Humorist (2016) Taylor Hackford
Later, he appeared in Joker (2019) Todd Phillips Irishman (2019) by Martin Scorsese presented at the Rome Film Festival, There was a scam in Hollywood (2020) George Gallo, with Tommy Lee Jones and Morgan Freeman, Amsterdam (2020) David O. Russell, Flower Moon Assassins (2023) M. Scorsese with Leonardo DiCaprio based on the book Red earth killers (2017) by journalist and publicist David Grann.
Twice he went behind the camera directing Bronx (1993) and Good Shepherd – Shadow of Power (2006).
The intensity of his activities as a producer starts from the nineties; he also worked on television in film Wizard of lies (2017) Barry Levinson with Michelle Pfeiffer in short films such as Listening (2015) Martin Scorsese, with L. DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, in documentaries – Fahrenheit 9/11(2004) Michael Moore I knew it was you (2009) by Richard Shepard in memory of John Cazal thirty years after his death.