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Jami Beth Gertz (born October 28, 1965) is an American actress. Gertz is known for her early roles in the films The Lost Boys, Quicksilver, Less Than Zero, the 1980s TV series Square Pegs with Sarah Jessica Parker, and 1996's Twister, as well as for her role as Judy Miller in the CBS sitcom Still Standing with Mark Addy.^[1]

Career

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 series Square Pegs. After its cancellation, she appeared in the teen movie Sixteen Candles in 1984. She gained 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. She plays Star, the "half vampire" girlfriend, with Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric.

After working in Paris as a scent designer for Lanvin, Gertz returned to America and landed a key supporting role in the 1996 blockbuster Twister after other films including 1986's Solarbabies and Crossroads also the 1989 film Listen to Me with Kirk Cameron and 1992's 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 can't "spare a square" of toilet paper to Elaine in the restroom. Gertz later played the recurring character Dr. Nina Pomerantz during the 1997 season of ER.

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.

In 2002, she portrayed Gilda Radner in the television movie Gilda Radner: It's Always Something. The name of Gertz's character on Still Standing, Judy Miller, is named after a character Radner portrayed on Saturday Night Live. Gertz played the lead role in the 2005 TV film Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story. She reportedly was offered, but declined, the role of Monica Geller, during pre-production of Friends.

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 fellow schoolmate Boots St. Clair. In 2003 Gertz starred as Brandy, a wanted criminal's girlfriend, in Undercover Christmas. She has a recurring role as Marlo Klein, wife of Ari Gold's newest business partner Andrew Klein an agent at Miller-Gold Talent Agency, on HBO's Entourage.

Personal life

Gertz was born in Chicago, Illinois, but lived in the city's close suburb of Park Ridge, Illinois. Jami attended Maine East High School and was a 1983 graduate. She is the daughter of Sharon and Walter Gertz, who was a builder and contractor.^[2] She lives in Los Angeles with her husband Anthony Ressler (6/16/59) and their three sons: Oliver Jordan Ressler (b. May 6 1992), Nicholas Simon Ressler (b. February 17 1995) and Theo Ressler (b. 1998). Gertz and her husband are part of the investment group led by Mark Attanasio that purchased the MLB franchise Milwaukee Brewers. Her husband and she have the school Gertz-Ressler High Academy named after them.

She has two brothers, Michael and Scott. Gertz is Jewish, and was raised in Conservative Judaism.^[3]

She was lusted after by Patrick Bateman, the main character in Bret Eaton Ellis's novel American Psycho.

References

External links

• Jami Gertz at the Internet Movie Database