Jami Gertz was an actor who was equally comfortable turning up the heat as the rebellious heartbreaker in 1980s teen classics like The Lost Boys. She played the all-American girl next door from Square Pegs. The 59-year-old celebrity is now more well-known as the owner of an NBA team, the mother of three children, and one half of a rich power couple.
You most likely imagine Jami Gertz as the seductive 80s heartbreaker from Quicksilver and Less than Zero, or as the vivacious preppy kid from Square Pegs and Facts of Life.
Playing runaways, half-vampires, disturbed youths, and characters with a wild edge, Gertz was the decade’s “it girl.”
However, Hollywood celebrity was not the end of her journey. Gertz has become much more over the years, becoming a millionaire philanthropist, a loving mother and wife, and—in a surprising turn of events—an NBA team owner.
Getting famous
Jami was born in 1965 to Sharyn and Walter Gertz. She and her two brothers, Michael and Scott, were raised in Glenview, Illinois. Growing up in a devout Jewish family, she was influenced by her faith to the extent that she occasionally skipped school for the high holidays, a habit she carried throughout her acting career.
Her achievement was greatly influenced by her family’s steadfast support.
Her father allegedly flew to Los Angeles with her to assist her in adjusting to life in Hollywood after she was cast in the 1980s sitcom Square Pegs, which also starred Sarah Jessica Parker.
Even when she transitioned from the dazzling lights of Hollywood to a whole other kind of stage, that love and support would continue to be a motivating factor in her quest.
Getting to be a billionaire
Gertz would transform her life when she met Tony Ressler, a budding businessman, in the mid-1980s, at the height of her acting career. Susan Geller, her publicist, introduced them, and the two clicked right away, connecting over their common Jewish ancestry.
Gertz had the money at the time, and Ressler was just getting started.
Behind the scenes of Less Than Zero (1987) with @RobertDowneyJr, Jami Gertz and Andrew McCarthy pic.twitter.com/yiOxA8WEyK
— IMDb (@IMDb) May 31, 2020
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Sixteen Candles star said, “Everyone thinks I married a rich guy.” However, when I first met Tony, I was significantly wealthier than him. Our first home was paid for by myself. I covered the cost of our first trip. I fell in love with him, therefore I married him.
That dynamic would be short-lived. The couple married in 1989 after two years of courtship, and their fortune increased along with their family. The pair is among the wealthiest in Hollywood since Ressler co-founded Ares Management, a private equity firm that is currently valued at billions of dollars.
They raised three boys together, and even though the Still Standing actress took a little break from performing to concentrate on her family, she continued to have an influence.
Gertz and her spouse shifted their focus to basketball, a completely different type of investment.
Getting an NBA franchise
Ressler seized the chance in 2014 when the previous owner of the Atlanta Hawks was forced to sell the franchise because of racist emails that had been released. Gertz became the face and a co-owner of a professional basketball team after he and NBA great Grant Hill purchased the team, which at the time was one of the NBA’s bottom-tier teams.
Regarding his wife, who thrives on publicity, Ressler told The Hollywood Reporter, “I think it’s fair to say that she makes a better impression on our fan base than any of us in the organization.” “I actively participate in decisions pertaining to player personnel and business. However, Jami fills in for me in a lot of areas of the company that I didn’t enjoy or know anything about.
She now frequently cheers from the sidelines, exemplifying the team’s spirit and interacting with the community.
Additionally, Gertz represented the Hawks in the NBA draft lottery for the 2018–2019 and 2020 NBA drafts as Ressler’s “good luck charm”.
It's the world's biggest Hawks fan's birthday! Happy birthday to Principal Owner, Jami Gertz ❤️🥳 pic.twitter.com/ibo2huEM7P
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 28, 2023
The financial score
Gertz and Ressler have been working to change the team’s performance and culture ever since they acquired the Hawks. The team has experienced significant changes, such as the addition of new coaches, player acquisitions, and a stronger emphasis on community service.
The Hawks have made consistent progress and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, despite not yet being a dominant power in the NBA. Their leadership has introduced a new strategy, emphasizing the organization’s long-term growth in addition to victories.
Gertz is well-known for her charitable work in addition to running an NBA franchise, a family, and a reduced acting career. The pair has contributed millions to causes ranging from healthcare to education through the Ressler-Gertz Foundation.
In fact, the couple topped Forbes’ list of the “30 Most Generous Celebrities” “thanks to a record donation of $10,569,002” to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Currently, Gertz is also a member of the Melanoma Research Alliance board.
Jami Gertz is demonstrating her abilities both on and off the court as the Atlanta Hawks are on the rise and she is using her business sense.
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