Jami Gertz, a beloved figure from the cinematic tapestry of the 1980s, graced the silver screen alongside luminaries like Robert Downey Jr., Andrew McCarthy, Molly Ringwald, and Helen Hunt. Her filmography boasts classics such as “Crossroads,” “Quicksilver,” “Less than Zero,” “The Lost Boys,” and “Twister,” each cementing her status as a quintessential star of the era.
In addition to her film success, Gertz made a memorable television appearance in 1994 with a guest role on “Seinfeld.” Fans fondly recall her portrayal of a woman in a restroom who famously couldn’t “spare a square” of toilet paper for Elaine, a scene that remains iconic in the show’s history.
Despite stepping back from the spotlight, the now 60-year-old actress recently made a rare public appearance in Los Angeles, showcasing her enduring grace and charm. Gertz attended the opening gala for The David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, an event that drew attention for its cultural significance.
Beyond her acting career, Gertz’s financial acumen has been noteworthy, amassing an impressive net worth of $8 billion through savvy investments. Her journey to stardom began early when she was discovered through a nationwide talent search conducted by Norman Lear. This opportunity led her to hone her craft in drama at New York University, setting the stage for her illustrious career.
She was at LACMA’s opening gala for The David Geffen Galleries at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Thursday.
Jami Gertz, the movie queen from the 1980s who is now worth $8 billion, made a rare sighting in Los Angeles. Seen in The Lost Boys in 1987
Here the actress is seen with Kiefer Sutherland from The Lost Boys
She was discovered at a young age in a nationwide talent search by Norman Lear and subsequently studied drama at NYU.
As a child actor, Gertz was in one episode of Diff’rent Strokes along with Andrew Dice Clay.
She also had a recurring role on The Facts of Life as Blair’s friend and schoolmate Boots St. Clair.
Gertz made her film debut in the 1981 romance film Endless Love with Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields.
After that she had a co-starring role in the TV sitcom series Square Pegs which she was on from 1982 to 1983.
Then she landed one of the top starring roles in 1987’s Less than Zero, as the girlfriend of Andrew McCarthy’s character as they try to help out Robert Downey Jr’s drug-addicted character.
That same year she had a role in The Lost Boys as Star, the ‘half vampire’ girlfriend, with Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric.
Gertz with Andrew McCarthy and Robert Downey Jr in Less Than Zero in 1987
Gertz seen as Muffy Tepperman on the 1982 television show Square Pegs
Seen in a magazine shoot in 1988
At the premiere of Presumed Innocent in Los Angeles in 1990
She was also known for her 1994 guest-starring role on Seinfeld where she played a phone sex operator who could not ‘spare a square’ of toilet paper for Elaine in the restroom
In a scene from the Helen Hunt movie Twister in 1996
She appeared in films including 1986’s Solarbabies and Crossroads, the 1989 film Listen to Me with Kirk Cameron, Don’t Tell Her It’s Me, and Jersey Girl.
And then she was in the 1994 episode of Seinfeld called The Stall.
Also in 1994, she played Sarah in the TV movie This Can’t Be Love, starring Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Quinn and Jason Bateman.
She landed a supporting role, in the 1996 blockbuster movie Twister with Helen Hunt.
Gertz later played the recurring character Dr. Nina Pomerantz during the 1997 season of ER.
In 2000, Gertz took up a recurring role on the Fox hit Ally McBeal as Kimmy Bishop, John Cage’s love interest.
In 2002, she portrayed comedian Gilda Radner in the television movie Gilda Radner: It’s Always Something. The next year she was in Undercover Christmas, and in 2005 Gertz played the lead role in the TV film Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story.
From 2009 to 2010, she had a recurring role on HBO’s Entourage.
Gertz with husband Antony Ressler at LACMA’s Opening Gala for The David Geffen Galleries at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Thursday
From 2012 to 2014, Gertz starred in the ABC sitcom The Neighbors, in which she played the mother of a human family that is surrounded by aliens.
Gertz married private equity investor Tony Ressler in 1989. They have a daughter and three sons. The couple are in the investment group led by Mark Attanasio that purchased the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball.
They also became owners of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2015.
According to Gertz, she acquired her own multi-billion-dollar fortune thanks to her and her husband’s ingenuity, as she was making more money than he was when they first met in the 1980s.
The actress is now worth around $8 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth, which makes her far wealthier than some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lopez.
