The 1980s teen idol Jami Gertz has lived a fascinating life.
The Crossroads star has not only worked in Hollywood for years – but married a billionaire, had three children, and somehow became the owner of an NBA team as well…
Today, this stunning lady has turned 57, and she shows no signs of slowing down.
I always liked Jamie Gertz because she can do both comedy and drama. She has done heaps of sitcoms and series and has been brilliant in all of them.
When most of us think of Jami Gertz, we might think of her many film accolades, most of which are from the 1980s – Quicksilver, Crossroads, and The Lost Boys, to name a few. The now-classic films catapulted Gertz into stardom, and she did an amazing job portraying runaways and self-destructive characters.
”I played a lot of hookers and vampires and drug addicts for a while,” the actress said in 1990.
The stunning now-mother was also known for a variety of television roles on series like Square Pegs, Still Standing, and The Neighbors.
Actors Brooke McCarter, Chance Michael Corbitt, Billy Wirth, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz and Alex Winter pose for the Warner Bros movie “The Lost Boys ” circa 1987. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
However, this powerhouse actress has changed greatly over the years in many great ways, becoming not just a celebrity but also a loving wife, mother of 3, philanthropist, and NBA team owner.
Gertz was born to parents Sharyn and Walter Gertz in 1965. She grew up with two brothers, Michael and Scott, in the Chicago suburb of Glenview.
Raised in a religious Jewish family, she often missed some days at public school for high holidays. This is a practice she carried into her acting career as well.
Raised in a loving and supporting home, Gertz maintained strong relationships with her family as her acting career took off. Her parents always supported her choices, and her father reportedly even flew with the young actress to Los Angeles after she was cast in Square Pegs.
Her life changed significantly at the highest point in her career – she met her husband, Anthony Ressler, in the mid-80s.
The two were introduced by her publicist, Susan Geller.
The two connected instantly and bonded over their shared Jewish faith. The day after they met, Ressler sent Gertz a dozen roses to her dressing room.
Funnily enough, the two current billionaires did not start out wealthy. Gertz was actually the one with more finances from her acting career. She explained:
Actress Jami Gertz and boyfriend Tony Ressler attend Dr. Armand Hammer and Jean Smith Kennedy Host a Dinner Party to Celebrate the Unveiling of a Serigraph of Senator Ted Kennedy’s Painting “Hyannis Port Compound” to Benefit the Very Special Arts on November 20, 1987 at Jimmy’s Restaurant in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
”Everyone thinks I married a rich guy. But I made more money — way more money — than Tony when I met him. I paid for our first house. I paid for our first vacation.”
The two dated for two years until eventually marrying in 1989. Over time, they had three boys together, and Ressler became the co-founder and CEO of Ares Management L.P, an asset management firm worth billions of dollars.
Ressler also now works as a board member of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Board co-chair.
Gertz has spoken often and jokingly about being the only woman in the family, citing incidents where her boys often asked her to keep a low profile at their sporting events because of her fame.
While she did try to stay out of the spotlight at public events for her children, Gertz also eventually thrust herself back into a different spotlight.
As acting roles began to dwindle for her in the mid-2000s, she decided to begin her own production company–Lime Orchard.
The company did well with the 2011 film A Better Life, but had no subsequent successes. Five years after it began, Gertz shut down Lime Orchard.
Disappointed or not, Gertz did not let this curb her ambition. Years of a shared love for basketball led the actress and her husband to purchase the Atlanta Hawks NBA team in 2014.
After the former owner was ousted for a leak of emails that contained racist comments, Ressler was able to purchase the team along with basketball legend Grant Hill. This made Gertz part-owner with her husband.
Gertz has often been the face of her and her husband’s co-ownership, appearing at events and games as often as she can. Ressler has largely acted behind the scenes, but still can be seen at games.
Outside of owning the team, Gertz and her husband have also used their wealth to become impressive philanthropists.
In fact, they were named most generous celebrity by Forbes Magazine in 2012 after they donated $10 million through their Ressler-Gertz Foundation to Cedar Sinai Medical Center and the LA County Museum of Art.
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We are so impressed by Gertz’s countless accomplishments on top of her previous Hollywood career! What do you think of her and Ressler’s generosity? Let us know in the comments!