Jami Gertz is a renowned American actress. She appeared in the films Crossroads and Quicksilver, both released in 1986, as well as in Less than Zero. Additionally, she portrayed Judy Miller in the CBS sitcom Still Standing and Debbie Weaver in the ABC sitcom The Neighbors. She is a co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks basketball team.
Early Life & Education
Jami Gertz was born in Chicago, Illinois, and spent her childhood in the suburb of Glenview. She attended public schools and graduated from Maine East High School.
Her parents, Sharyn and Walter Gertz, were a builder and a contractor, respectively, and she has two brothers named Michael and Scott. Gertz, who is of Jewish faith, was raised in the Conservative Jewish community.
Jami Gertz’s Career
Jami Gertz made her movie debut in the romance film Endless Love, released in 1981. This was succeeded by a co-starring role in the television sitcom series Square Pegs, which aired from 1982 to 1983.
She garnered greater recognition with her leading role in the 1987 film Less than Zero, portraying the friend of a tragic drug addict, a character played by Robert Downey Jr.
Additionally, she starred in the 1987 movie The Lost Boys as Star, the ‘half vampire’ girlfriend, alongside Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric.
In the mid-1980s, she appeared in various film projects, including co-starring roles in “Sixteen Candles,” “Solarbabies,” “Less Than Zero,” and “The Lost Boys.”
After spending a few years in France working as a scent designer for Lanvin, Jami Gertz returned to the United States to continue her acting career in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In 1997, she secured a recurring role on the television series E.R., portraying Dr. Nina Pomerantz. Subsequently, she obtained guest-starring or co-starring roles in television shows such as “Sibs,” “Seinfeld,” “Ally McBeal,” “Still Standing,” and “Shark.”
In 2001, Jami Gertz received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Ally McBeal.
In 2002, she took on the role of Gilda Radner in the biographical television film “Gilda Radner: It’s Always Something.” From 2009 to 2010, she played a recurring character, Marlo Klein, on the series Entourage.
Between 2012 and 2014, Gertz featured in the ABC sitcom The Neighbors, portraying the mother of a human family that relocates to a community inhabited by beings from another planet.
Personal Life
In 1989, Jami Gertz married Tony Ressler, a private equity investor. They have three sons together. Gertz and her husband are members of the investment group led by Mark Attanasio, which acquired the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball.
Gertz-Ressler High Academy, which is part of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, is named in their honor. In addition, they became the owners of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2015. Gertz represented the Hawks in the NBA draft lottery for the drafts held in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Net Worth
Jami Gertz is an American actress, sports team owner, and philanthropist with a net worth of $12 billion. While she has enjoyed a prosperous career independently, the bulk of Jami Gertz’s wealth is attributed to her enduring marriage with billionaire investor and sports team owner Tony Ressler.
Together, Jami and Tony are part-owners of the Atlanta Hawks NBA franchise. Additionally, they hold a minority interest in the Milwaukee Brewers.
