Jami Gertz built her name in Hollywood long before her connection to NBA basketball drew a different kind of attention. Viewers know her from The Lost Boys, Twister and the sitcom Still Standing. Her public life now includes work connected with the Atlanta Hawks and community initiatives in Atlanta.
Her career is sometimes overshadowed by headlines about the wealth of her husband, investor Tony Ressler. Those estimates do not tell readers what Gertz personally earns or owns. Her screen credits and the Hawks’ own staff and community records offer a firmer picture of her professional life.
Quick Answer
Jami Gertz is an American actress and producer born on October 28, 1965, in Chicago. She is best known for roles in The Lost Boys (1987), Twister (1996) and the television sitcom Still Standing (2002–2006). She is married to investor Tony Ressler and is listed by the Atlanta Hawks as a principal owner. Her public work also includes charitable projects in the Atlanta area. Exact online estimates of her personal net worth should be treated cautiously because they rarely disclose a reliable calculation.
| Fact | Verified overview |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jami Beth Gertz |
| Born | October 28, 1965 |
| Birthplace | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Profession | Actress and producer |
| Notable films | The Lost Boys, Less Than Zero, Twister |
| Notable television | Still Standing, Square Pegs, The Neighbors |
| Spouse | Tony Ressler |
| Basketball involvement | Listed as principal owner, Atlanta Hawks |
| Personal net worth | No independently audited public figure established here |
Early life and the start of her acting career
Gertz was born in Chicago and began working as a young performer. Her early television credits include Square Pegs, a 1980s comedy about high-school friendships. That work put her in front of audiences before the films most people associate with her name.
Her IMDb biography confirms her birth details and major acting credits. Some online profiles repeat an unsupported story about her studying acting at Nyack College; without a dependable institutional or biographical source, that claim should not be stated as fact.
Jami Gertz movies and TV shows
Gertz appeared in several defining films of the 1980s. In The Lost Boys (1987), she played Star, a central character in the vampire story. She also appeared in Less Than Zero, another 1987 release that is frequently mentioned in retrospectives of her early career.
In Twister (1996), she played Dr. Melissa Reeves, a character caught up in the storm-chasing story. On television, Gertz starred as Judy Miller in Still Standing, which ran from 2002 to 2006, and later appeared in The Neighbors. These credits show that her screen career continued well beyond the 1980s.
Her IMDb filmography is the clearest practical place to check individual roles and release years. It is more useful than a list of unverified ‘upcoming projects,’ since acting schedules and credited appearances can change.
Jami Gertz and the Atlanta Hawks
Gertz’s public profile also includes professional basketball. The Atlanta Hawks staff directory identifies her as a principal owner, while Tony Ressler is prominent in the team’s ownership leadership. This is an officially documented association, rather than a claim based only on celebrity wealth rankings.
The Hawks became part of the Ressler-Gertz family’s public business identity in 2015. Gertz has also participated in team-linked community events. A basketball ownership role does not mean every financial decision or investment attributed to the couple can be assigned personally to her without evidence.
Marriage, family and private life
Gertz married Tony Ressler in 1989. He is an investor and business executive, and the couple has raised a family while balancing professional work and public responsibilities. Press profiles often discuss them together because of the Hawks, but their individual careers should remain distinct.
The family’s public appearances do not provide a license to speculate about private addresses, personal finances or relationships. A biography is more trustworthy when it sticks to reported facts and makes clear where the public record ends.
Philanthropy and community work
The Ressler-Gertz family has supported community projects through charitable initiatives and work associated with the Atlanta Hawks. According to an official Hawks announcement, the Ressler Gertz Family Foundation participated in matching a contribution supporting prostate cancer awareness.
The team’s reporting also describes broader efforts involving schools and local organizations. Specific announcements, dates and named partners are better evidence than broad claims that Gertz has ‘transformed’ an industry or personally founded every project connected to her family.
Net worth, recent work and what can be verified
Search results frequently attach very large dollar figures to Gertz’s name. Most of those figures mix an estimated household fortune, investment holdings and basketball-franchise valuation. Without independently disclosed ownership shares and audited assets, it is misleading to present a precise personal net worth as a confirmed fact.
Her official sports role and screen credits are easier to verify. The NBA has continued to identify Gertz in its Atlanta Hawks coverage, and film databases maintain her credits. Readers looking for the latest acting appearance should check a dated production announcement or an updated filmography rather than assume that she has permanently retired from acting.
Frequently asked questions
What was Jami Gertz’s role in Twister?
She played Dr. Melissa Reeves in the 1996 film Twister. That credit appears in the film’s cast information and her actor filmography.
Is Jami Gertz the owner of the Atlanta Hawks?
The Hawks officially list Gertz as a principal owner. It is more precise to describe her role that way than to suggest she alone owns the entire franchise.
What is Jami Gertz’s exact net worth?
A verified exact personal total is not established by the public sources used here. Estimates on celebrity sites should be labeled as estimates, not documented assets.
Editorial note: This profile prioritizes credited film work, official NBA information and publicly documented family facts. It avoids unsupported claims about private wealth and education. Readers interested in performers who crossed between different parts of entertainment can also explore our John Cena career overview for another career trajectory.
