The Woman in This Childhood Photo Grew Up to Become One of the Wealthiest Actresses in the World — Did You Guess Who She Is?

If you asked most people to name Hollywood’s richest actress, the guesses would probably be familiar: Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, or maybe Jennifer Aniston.

Surprisingly, none of these global superstars come close to the extraordinary fortune associated with a woman many people remember from only a handful of iconic films from the 1980s and 1990s.

She didn’t chase fame.

She didn’t dominate headlines.

She wasn’t part of the Hollywood machine.

Yet today, she is widely reported as one of the wealthiest actresses in the world.

From Suburban Childhood to a National Talent Search

Before anyone knew her name, she was just a girl growing up in Glenview, Illinois. Her father worked as a builder and contractor.

Her childhood was ordinary, far from Hollywood lights — until a nationwide talent search changed her life.

“I was found in a search and thrown right in — that was it,” she once said.

As a teenager, she appeared in films that became generational favorites. Her charm, relatability, and natural warmth made her unforgettable to moviegoers.

By age 16, she was making more money than her father — something she later admitted changed the family dynamic overnight.

A Career That Didn’t Chase the Spotlight

Throughout the ’80s and early ’90s, she appeared in beloved films and memorable TV roles. Fans still recognize her from cult classics, yet she avoided the typical Hollywood lifestyle. No nonstop press tours. No obsession with fame. No spotlight chasing.

Instead, she chose privacy, balance, and stability.

That decision would shape the rest of her life.

It also led her to the man she would marry — long before the world associated their name with billion-dollar success.

A Marriage Built on Partnership, Not Wealth

She married financier Tony Ressler in 1989. At the time, she was the primary earner.

“Everyone assumes I married a rich guy,” she once said. “But I made more money — way more money — than Tony when we met. I paid for our first house. I paid for our first vacation.”

Years later, Ressler co-founded Apollo Global Management and later Ares Management — firms that grew into giants in the worlds of finance and investment.

Together, they built an extraordinary life based not only on wealth, but on shared values and philanthropy.

Major Philanthropy and Community Impact

The Ressler-Gertz family is known for significant charitable giving. In 2012, they were named among the year’s top U.S. donors after contributing more than $10 million to their foundation. Their philanthropy supports:

Education

Medical research

Jewish organizations

Arts and cultural programs

She also serves on the board of the Melanoma Research Alliance, the world’s largest nonprofit funder of melanoma research.

So Who Is the Wealthy Actress From the Photo?

Jami Gertz, now 60.

Audiences know her from films like The Lost Boys, Twister, and Less Than Zero, as well as appearances in hit TV shows such as Seinfeld and Modern Family.

Today, Jami Gertz is widely reported to be one of the wealthiest actresses in the world — not because of a long Hollywood résumé, but because of the successful investment empire she and her husband built together over more than three decades.

She may not seek the spotlight, but her story is one of talent, timing, love, partnership, and choosing a life that grows far beyond the screen.