Jami Gertz’s journey begins far from the flashing cameras, in a tight-knit Jewish family in Glenview, Illinois. Her parents’ faith and protection grounded her as she rocketed from Square Pegs to The Lost Boys and Less than Zero, becoming the face of a restless decade. Even as she lit up screens, her father literally walked beside her into Hollywood, flying with her to Los Angeles to make sure fame never swallowed the girl they’d raised.
Then came the quiet twist: meeting young financier Tony Ressler, when she was the one with the bigger paycheck and the star power. She paid for their first house and vacations, and married him for love, not a bank balance. Decades later, they’re co-stewards of a multibillion-dollar empire, from Ares Management to the Atlanta Hawks. Courtside, Gertz is more than a lucky charm; off-court, her foundation’s multimillion-dollar gifts to hospitals, museums, and cancer research reveal the truest plot twist of all: the “it girl” became the woman who gives back more than she ever took.
