Jami Gertz is an American actress with a career spanning over 30 years. Gertz, together with her husband, are known for their philanthropy. Together, they support various charitable causes spread across different industries and sectors. As an actress, Gertz has starred in numerous films and television productions.
Gertz is popularly known for her role in the late 80s supernatural black comedy The Lost Boys. Movie viewers will easily remember her charismatic portrayal of the character Star. Here are 7 things you didn’t know about The Lost Boys‘ Jami Gertz.
1. The Movies You Know Jami Gertz From
Jami Gertz is often remembered for playing Star in Joel Schumacher’s black comedy horror The Lost Boys (1987) for obvious reasons. The movie was both a critical and commercial success upon release. With a budget of $8.5 million, The Lost Boys earned a massive $32.2 million at the Box Office. The movie also starred 20-year-old Kiefer Sutherland. Gertz also appeared in another hit movie in the mid-90s. She played Dr. Melissa Reeves in the epic disaster movie Twister (1996).
On television, Gertz was a regular cast member of Square Pegs from 1982 to 1983. She played Muffy Tepperman in 20 episodes of the show. In the 2000s, Gertz played Judy Miller on 88 episodes of Still Standing. Gertz’s last regular role on television was as Debbie Weaver in ABC’s science fiction sitcom The Neighbors.
2. How Jami Gertz Got Into Acting
While responding to a question on The Jeff Probst Show, Jami Gertz stated her passion for acting began in High School. After winning the role of Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz play at school, her performance of the character helped turn her career passion for acting. She had dreamed of becoming a professional figure skater. However, while the passion remained, getting selected by Norman Lear’s nationwide talent search scouts helped make the dream achievable. Gertz later studied drama at New York University.
3. Jami Gertz’s Film Debut
Jami Gertz’s film debut came in 1981, several months shy of her 16th birthday. Released on March 6, 1981, Gertz’s first appearance in film was in a minor role as Big Girl. It was in the American romantic comedy On the Right Track. The movie starred Gary Coleman. Gertz also appeared in another movie in July of that same year. Gertz played Patty in the movie Endless Love, which was also Tom Cruise‘s film debut as the character Billy. With Brooke Shields playing the lead role, the movie was a success, earning $32.4 million on a $9.7 million budget.
4. The Nominations & Awards Jami Gertz Has Received
Jami Gertz has received the best and worst nominations in the film world. Gertz’s first nomination and win came in 1996 when she was nominated for Worst Supporting Actress at The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards. Although she was nominated in the same category at the Razzie Awards in 1997 for her performance in Twisters (1996), thankfully, she lost the nomination. Four years later, Gertz received a nomination at the Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for playing Kimmy Bishop in Ally McBeal. She also received a joint nomination at the Young Artist Awards for Most Popular Mom & Pop in a Television Series for her performance in Still Standing.
5. Other Movies Jami Gertz Was In
Three years after her film debut in 1981, Jami Gertz played Robin in the successful coming-of-age comedy Sixteen Candles (1984). Another notable appearance was in the musical drama Crossroads (1986), where she played Frances. Gertz played Blair in Less Than Zero (1987), Lisa in Seven Girlfriends (1999), and Rita in I Want You Back (2022).
6. Jami Gertz And Her Husband Are Part-Owners Of Sports Teams
Jami Gertz is married to Tony Ressler, a billionaire business executive. The couple has been married since 1989 with three sons, Oliver Jordan, Nicholas Simon, and Theo. In 2015, Gartz and her husband Ressler became principal owners of the Atlanta Hawks, one of the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams.
Besides their stake in the NBA, Gertz and Ressler are members of an investment group led by Mark Attanasio. The group purchased the Milwaukee Brewers, a team in Major League Baseball (MLB). While Attanasio is the principal owner of Milwaukee Brewers, Gertz and Ressler are listed as joint minority owners.
7. Other TV Shows Jami Gertz Was In
Besides the TV shows already mentioned, Gertz has appeared as a guest star on other popular TV series. In an episode in 1983, Gertz played Lindsay on Diff’rent Strokes. Jami Gertz‘s other guest-starring appearances include Family Ties (1984), Seinfeld (1994), ER (1997), Modern Family (2011), and This Is Us (2016).
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