Jami Gertz, a teen idol from the 1980s, has led an interesting life.
The Crossroads star not only spent years working in Hollywood, but also wed a billionaire, had three kids, and somehow came to own an NBA team.
This beautiful woman turned 57 today, and she is still going strong.
Jamie Gertz’s ability to perform both comedy and drama has always made me like her. She has participated in a ton of sitcoms and series, and she excelled in each one.
Most of us may recall Jami Gertz’s numerous film achievements, the most of which date back to the 1980s and include Quicksilver, Crossroads, and The Lost Boys, to name a few. Gertz’s career was propelled by the now-classic movies, and she excelled at playing characters who are runaways or harmful to themselves.
The actress admitted in 1990 that she had “played a lot of hookers, vampires, and drug addicts for a while.”
The attractive actress, who is now a mother, has a number of notable television appearances on shows like Square Pegs, Still Standing, and The Neighbors.
But this formidable actress has evolved considerably over the years in a variety of wonderful ways, becoming not just a star but also a devoted wife, a mother of three, a philanthropist, and the owner of an NBA team.
In 1965, Gertz was born to Sharyn and Walter Gertz. In the Glenview neighborhood of Chicago, she grew up alongside her two brothers, Scott and Michael.
She frequently skipped a few days of school for the high holidays because she was raised in a pious Jewish family. She continued to do this throughout her acting career as well.
Gertz was raised in a family that supported and loved her, and even as her acting career flourished, she remained close to her family. Her parents have always supported her decisions, and according to reports, her father even travelled to Los Angeles with the young actress after she was cast in Square Pegs.
When she met her husband, Anthony Ressler, in the middle of the 1980s, her life underwent a tremendous upheaval at the height of her career.
Susan Geller, her publicist, introduced the two.
They hit it off right away, bonding over their common Jewish faith. Ressler delivered a dozen roses to Gertz’s dressing room the day after they first met.
Funny enough, neither of the two present billionaires had an affluent upbringing. Actually, Gertz had more money thanks to her acting profession. She clarified:
“Everyone believes I wed a wealthy man. But when I first met Tony, I was making far more money than he was. I purchased our first home. For our first trip, I paid.
The two had a two-year relationship before getting married in 1989. After some time, they gave birth to three boys together, and Ressler rose to the position of CEO and co-founder of Ares Management L.P., a multibillion dollar asset management company.
Ressler is currently co-chair of the board for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and is on the board of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Gertz has frequently and lightheartedly discussed the fact that she is the only woman in the family, recalling instances in which her sons have requested that she maintain a low profile at their sporting activities due to her fame.
Gertz did make an effort to avoid the spotlight at public events for her kids, but she finally found herself in another spotlight.
In the middle of the 2000s, she noticed that her acting opportunities were dwindling, so she started her own production business, Lime Orchard.
The firm experienced success with the 2011 movie A Better Life, but no other hits followed. Lime Orchard was shut down by Gertz five years after it opened.
Gertz did not allow this to dim her ambition, whether she was disappointed or not. The actress and her husband bought the Atlanta Hawks NBA team in 2014 as a result of their long-standing sports affinities.
Ressler and basketball great Grant Hill were able to buy the franchise after the previous owner was forced to sell it after racist emails were leaked. As a result, Gertz and her husband became co-owners.
Gertz has frequently served as the face of her and her husband’s joint ownership, showing up as frequently as she can at events and sporting events. Ressler has mostly played supporting roles, yet he still makes appearances at sporting events.
Gertz and her husband have utilized their money to become exemplary philanthropists in addition to owning the team.
In fact, after giving $10 million to the Cedar Sinai Medical Center and the LA County Museum of Art through their Ressler-Gertz Foundation, they were awarded the most charitable celebrities by Forbes Magazine in 2012.
We are incredibly amazed by Gertz’s numerous achievements in addition to her prior Hollywood career! What do you think of their generosity, Ressler and her? Comment below and let us know!
