Jami Beth Gertz ( ; born October 28, 1965) is an American actress and businesswoman. Gertz has performed in the films Crossroads, Quicksilver (both 1986), Less than Zero (1987), The Lost Boys (1987), and Twister (1996). On television, she acted in the 1980s TV series Square Pegs, in the CBS sitcom Still Standing, and in the ABC sitcom The Neighbors. Along with her husband, Tony Ressler, Gertz is an owner of the Atlanta Hawks basketball team.
Early life
Gertz was born in 1965 in Chicago, Illinois, and lived in the suburb of Glenview. She attended public schools, graduating from Maine East High School. Gertz is the daughter of Walter Gertz, who was a builder and contractor, and Sharyn Gertz. She has two brothers, Michael and Scott. Gertz is Jewish; she was raised in Conservative Judaism.
Career
Gertz was discovered by Norman Lear in a nationwide talent search and 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, which was followed by a co-starring role in the 1982–83 TV sitcom series Square Pegs. She gained more significant attention with a starring role in 1987's Less than Zero, as the friend of a doomed drug addict played by Robert Downey Jr. She also starred in the 1987 film The Lost Boys alongside Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric.
After working in Paris as a scent designer for Lanvin, Gertz returned to the United States. 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. In the 1994 episode of Seinfeld, "The Stall", she appeared as one of Jerry's girlfriends, who works as a phone sex operator and cannot "spare a square" of toilet paper for Elaine in the restroom. 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 Twister. Gertz later played the recurring character Dr. Nina Pomerantz during the 1997 season of ER. She reportedly was offered, but declined, the role of Rachel Green, during pre-production of Friends.
In 2000, Gertz took up a recurring role on the Fox hit Ally McBeal as Kimmy Bishop, John Cage's love interest. Gertz was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. She returned to this role in one more episode as a guest star in the show's final season in 2002. Also in 2002, she portrayed comedian Gilda Radner in the television movie Gilda Radner: It's Always Something. Gertz represented the Hawks in the NBA draft lottery for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 NBA drafts.
Philanthropy
The Giving Back Fund named Gertz and Ressler as the top celebrity charitable donors in 2010. Gertz serves as a board member of the Melanoma Research Alliance, the largest nonprofit funder of melanoma research.
Personal life
Gertz married Tony Ressler in 1989. Gertz and Ressler have a daughter and three sons.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1981
|On the Right Track
|Big Girl
|
|-
|Endless Love
|Patty
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1984
|Sixteen Candles
|Robin
|
|-
|Alphabet City
|Sophia
|
|-
|1985
|Mischief
|Rosalie
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1986
|Quicksilver
|Terri
|
|-
|Crossroads
|Frances
|
|-
|Solarbabies
|Terra
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1987
|'
|Star
|
|-
|Less than Zero
|Blair
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1989
|Listen to Me
|Monica Tomanski
|
|-
|Renegades
|Barbara
|
|-
|Silence Like Glass
|Eva Martin
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1990
|Don't Tell Her It's Me
|Emily Pear
|
|-
|Sibling Rivalry
|Jeanine
|
|-
|1992
|Jersey Girl
|Toby
|
|-
|1994
|This Can't Be Love
|Sarah
|
|-
|1996
|Twister
|Dr. Melissa Reeves
|Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Worst Supporting Actress<br>Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress
|-
|1999
|Seven Girlfriends
|Lisa
|
|-
|2001
|Lip Service
|Kat
|
|-
|-
|2006
|Keeping Up with the Steins
|Joanne Fielder
|
|-
| 2013
| Dealin' with Idiots
| Rosie
|
|-
|2022
|I Want You Back
| Rita
|
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1982–1983
| Square Pegs
| Muffy Tepperman
| Regular role; 20 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1983
| Diff'rent Strokes
| Lindsay
| Episode: "My Fair Larry"
|-
| For Members Only
| Monica Mitchell
| Television film
|-
| 1984
| Dreams
| Martha Spino
| Regular role; 12 episodes
|-
| 1983–1984
| The Facts of Life
| Boots St. Claire
| Recurring role; 4 episodes
|-
| 1984
| Family Ties
| Jocelyn Clark
| Episode: "Double Date"
|-
| 1991–1992
| Sibs
| Lily Ruscio
| Regular role; 22 episodes
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1994
| Seinfeld
| Jane
| Episode: "The Stall"
|-
| This Can't Be Love
| Sarah
| Television film
|-
| Dream On
| Jane Harnick
| Episodes: "The Taking of Pablum - Part 1 & Part 2"
|-
| Related by Birth
| Lily
| Television short
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1995
| Dream On
| Martin's Lover
| Episode: "Take Two Tablets, and Get Me to Mt. Sinai"
|-
| Hudson Street
| Allison
| Episode: "Bells & Whistles"
|-
| 1997
| ER
| Dr. Nina Pomerantz
| Recurring role; 6 episodes
|-
| 2001
| True Love
|
| Television film
|-
| 2000–2002
| Ally McBeal
| Kimmy Bishop
| Recurring role; 6 episodes<br>Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
|-
| 2002
| Gilda Radner: It's Always Something
| Gilda Radner
| Television film
|-
| 2003
| Undercover Christmas
| Brandi O'Neill
| Television film
|-
| 2005
| Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story
| Marilyn Gambrell
| Television film
|-
| 2002–2006
| Still Standing
| Judy Miller
| Regular role; 88 episodes <br />Nominated – Young Artist Award for Most Popular Mom & Pop in a Television Series <small>(shared with Mark Addy)</small>
|-
| 2006
| Shark
| Sara Metcalfe
| Episode: "Sins of the Mother"
|-
| 2007
| Lost Holiday: The Jim & Suzanne Shemwell Story
| Suzanne Shemwell
| Television film
|-
| 2009–2010
| Entourage
| Marlo Klein
| Recurring role; 5 episodes
|-
| 2011
| Modern Family
| Laura
| Episode: "Slow Down Your Neighbors"
|-
| 2012–2014
| The Neighbors
| Debbie Weaver
| Regular role; 44 episodes
|-
| 2016
| This Is Us
| Marin Rosenthal
| Episode: “Career Days"
|-
| 2017
| Difficult People
| David's Wife
| Episode: "Bernie and Blythe"
|}