Why Did Actress Jami Gertz Leave Hollywood? The Real Reason, Explained

Actress Jami Gertz made a rare appearance this weekend as she and husband Antony Ressler attended the opening gala for the David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on April 16. The Twister star and her husband were there to help christen the new south wing of the newly opened $724-million flagship building, which will be named the Ressler Family Wing after the couple provided a $50 million donation to the museum (per The New York Times).

In the ’80s, Jami Gertz was one of Hollywood’s reigning “It” girls before she seemingly vanished. At what appeared to be the height of her popularity and success, Gertz chose to step back from the spotlight, trading the nonstop churn of fame for a more private life and a different kind of fulfillment away from the cameras.

Here’s a look at Jami Gertz, the Brat Pack-adjacent star who went from ’80s scene-stealer to billionaire philanthropist and sports team owner.

Amy Sussman/Getty Images for LACMA

How did Jami Gertz get famous?

Jami Gertz rose to fame in the 1980s, starting with small roles as wealthy, snooty types like Muffy in Square Pegs opposite Sarah Jessica Parker and Boots St. Clair in The Facts of Life, before making the jump to film as the party girl Robin in Sixteen Candles.

She broke out in 1987 with her role as Star in The Lost Boys opposite Jason Patric and Kiefer Sutherland, and as Blair in Less Than Zero alongside Robert Downey Jr. Through the late 1980s and 1990s, she remained a steady presence on screen, appearing in the hit Twister as Dr. Melissa Reeves and landing recurring roles on series like Ally McBeal and ER.

By the 2000s, however, Gertz began to step back from acting, appearing less frequently in shows and films.

Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection

How did Jami Gerz meet her husband?

While filming The Lost Boys in 1986, Gertz met Antony Ressler at a dinner party at Ressler’s L.A. apartment through her publicist. At the time, Ressler was just a mere banker.

“Everyone thinks I married a rich guy,” Gertz told The Hollywood Reporter. “But I made more money — way more money — than Tony when I met him. I paid for our first house. I paid for our first vacation. I married him because I fell in love with him.”

“He was a nice guy with a job,” explained Gertz. “Which is what any Jewish girl from Glenview would want. It would have been nice if it was a doctor or a lawyer, but a banker was OK, too.”

The two tied the knot two years later.

How did Jami Gertz and her husband make their money?

In 1990, the firm that Ressler worked for went bankrupt due to illegal dealings, so he subsequently founded the private equity firm Apollo Global Management and made much of his fortune after he launched the investment firm Ares Management.

“We’re a $125-ish billion asset manager,” he told THR. “I guess the right quote would be, ‘We’re the most amazing investment firm in the history of the universe.’”

Also part of what Ressler’s company does is snatch up struggling companies at bargain prices and turn their fortunes around, thus making a tidy profit in the process. Forbes estimates his net worth to be $2.1 billion.

Why did Jami Gertz stop acting?

In 2010, Gertz launched her own production company, Lime Orchard Productions. “You reach an age, and you slow down, and the jobs are a little hard to come by,” she told THR. “So I decided to put money into a project of my own… I tried for five years and was not very successful.” After it went under, she started supporting her husband’s business ventures and became a true power couple.

In 2015, the couple bought the Atlanta Hawks for an estimated $720 million.

“He looked at me, and I looked at him, and he’s like, ‘Jami, are we going to do this?’” Gertz recalled to THR. “I’m like, ‘I don’t know. I’m so scared.’ And he’s like, ‘It would be so much fun!’ And then we were jumping and screaming, ‘Oh my God — we just bought a basketball team!'”

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Related

Arden Cho Reveals She Quit Acting After Netflix Canceled 'Partner Track'

In 2017, Gertz and Ressler left Los Angeles and relocated to Atlanta to be near the team. Gertz said she decided to step away from her acting career so that she could focus on her work with the Hawks.

“It just seemed like a natural moment for me to take a break from acting,” she said. “It’s hard to even say it out loud because I love what I do. It’s given me so many beautiful things in my life, taught me so many things about myself and the world around me.”

What is Jami Gertz doing now?

Jami Gertz is now primarily a billionaire businesswoman, philanthropist, sports team owner, wife, and mother, having largely moved on from acting. She and her husband continue to own the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, with Gertz representing them at the NBA Draft Lottery. Though occasionally, she can be swayed back to Hollywood. Her last appearance was in 2022’s I Want You Back, opposite Charlie Day and Jenny Slate.