The World’s Richest Actress Isn’t Meryl or Julia — It’s the Half-Vampire From The Lost Boys

If you’re Generation X, it probably felt like Jami Gertz was everywhere while you were growing up. She starred in vampire movies, teen dramas, and Twister — one of the biggest tornado blockbusters ever made.

And this October is a big month for the actress because The Lost Boys has become a Tony-winning Broadway musical at the Palace Theatre. Gertz also turns 61 on October 28 just as her Atlanta Hawks start a new NBA season. So, really it’s a good time to look back at Star, the half-vampire who became one of the most unlikely owners in pro sports.

But Hollywood was just the beginning for Gertz. Before long, she’d be sharing in a fortune through marriage, smart investments and sports team ownership.

Jami Gertz’s Early Life: From Glenview, Illinois, to Square Pegs

Jami Gertz grew up in the diverse village of Glenview, Illinois, and had a fairly conventional childhood. In a Chicago Tribune interview, she described her upbringing as “really lovely”.

The young Jewish teen was discovered through a nationwide talent search run by producer Norman Lear. Her first series-regular role (at 16) was in the short-lived sitcom Square Pegs, alongside a young Sarah Jessica Parker. She had already made her film debut in Endless Love (1981) and appeared as Boots St. Clair on The Facts of Life.

Next came an impressive string of defining 80s and 90s film credits:

• Sixteen Candles (1984)
• Crossroads (1986) and Quicksilver (1986)
• The Lost Boys (1987)
• Less Than Zero (1987)
• Twister (1996)

Side Note: Hastings Bad Cinema Society gave Gertz the ‘Worst Supporting Actress’ Award for her role in Twister, and she was nominated in the same category at the Razzies. The voters clearly found her performance rigid, but this didn’t hinder her film career. On TV, she went on to star in 88 episodes of Still Standing (2002–2006) and earned an Emmy nomination for Ally McBeal.

RELATED: Twister Turns 30 — and Its Famous Flying Cow Was Actually a Zebra From Jumanji

How Did Jami Gertz Meet Tony Ressler? (No, She Didn’t Marry Him for His Money)

In 1986, Gertz was introduced to Tony Ressler by her publicist at a dinner party at his L.A. apartment, while she was filming The Lost Boys (via TV Insider). At the time, he was working as a banker at Drexel Burnham Lambert.

In a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gertz set the record straight: “Everyone thinks I married a rich guy.” She explained that she was earning far more money than Ressler when they met.

Is Jami Gertz a Billionaire? How She and Tony Ressler Got Richer Than Oprah

Her acting career contributed to her wealth, but not by much. Her production company, Lime Orchard, wasn’t where she made her fortune either. Gertz launched the company in the late 2000s and spent the following years developing original projects. It produced the Oscar-nominated drama A Better Life (2011), but its other projects never made it far enough to turn the venture into a major success, and she eventually shut it down.

So what was the cash cow behind the billions? Mostly her husband’s investment career — but the couple’s most famous asset is a basketball team.

How Jami Gertz Became an Atlanta Hawks Owner

In 2014, the Donald Sterling scandal put the LA Clippers up for sale. A group led by Ressler, which included Gertz and NBA legend Grant Hill, was among the finalists, but former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer ultimately won the bid for $2 billion.

The following year, Ressler’s group, including Gertz and Hill, bought the Atlanta Hawks for a reported $850 million. Fans were surprised when they saw Gertz at the NBA Draft Lottery in 2018, her first appearance as the team’s ambassador. Today, the Hawks list her as a principal owner.

Gertz has admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that it’s hardly a typical Hollywood actress story.

Ressler’s business interests have also grown considerably over the years. He co-founded Ares Management (and, before that, Apollo Global Management), the global investment firm that manages hundreds of billions of dollars in assets, and has built much of his fortune through the company and other investments.

Gertz and Ressler have now been married for 37 years. Forbes puts Ressler’s fortune at more than $12 billion. For comparison, Oprah Winfrey’s net worth is estimated at about $3 billion.

Jami Gertz’s Later TV and Movie Roles

Even as she moved into the business world, Gertz kept acting throughout the 2010s and early 2020s. A few noteworthy roles include:

• The Neighbors (2012–2014): Her biggest post-2010 role, with 44 episodes
• This Is Us (2016): She had a guest role on this popular NBC drama
• Difficult People (2017): Made a guest appearance as David’s wife

In 2022, she appeared in I Want You Back alongside Charlie Day and Jenny Slate. The film went on to earn 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the best-reviewed film of her entire career. It’s also her last credited role to date.

What Is Jami Gertz Doing Now?

These days, Gertz splits her time between Atlanta and Los Angeles and stays out of the spotlight for the most part. However, she did make a rare public appearance in April 2026, when she and Ressler attended the opening gala for LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries.

The couple donated $50 million to the museum’s new south wing, which will be named the Ressler Family Wing. Married since 1989 and parents to three sons, Gertz has largely left Hollywood behind for family life and philanthropy.

Year	Title	Role	Why It Matters	Rotten Tomatoes
1982–83	Square Pegs	Muffy Tepperman	Her breakout as a series regular, opposite a young Sarah Jessica Parker	—
1984	Sixteen Candles	Robin	A small part in John Hughes’ defining teen comedy	81%
1987	The Lost Boys	Star	Her signature role, now a Tony-winning Broadway musical	75%
1987	Less Than Zero	Blair	Leading role opposite Robert Downey Jr. and James Spader	50%
1994	Seinfeld (“The Stall”)	Jane	Jerry’s girlfriend who wouldn’t “spare a square” for Elaine	—
1996	Twister	Dr. Melissa Reeves	Her biggest box-office hit, at nearly $500 million worldwide	68%
2000–02	Ally McBeal	Kimmy Bishop	Earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination	—
2002–06	Still Standing	Judy Miller	Her longest-running role, at 88 episodes	—
2011	A Better Life	Producer	Earned Demián Bichir a Best Actor Oscar nomination	—
2012–14	The Neighbors	Debbie Weaver	Lead role for two seasons (44 episodes)	—
2022	I Want You Back	Rita	Her best-reviewed film and most recent role

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Catch Jami in her most recent role in I Want You Back (2022) (87% on Rotten Tomatoes), now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The Lost Boys (1987) (75% on Rotten Tomatoes) is available to rent or buy on Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home.