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"I'm at a time in my life where I'm so filled up that I don't want more." That's a wonderful place to be, and a great thing to be able to say about a life and a career. Fortunately, Jami Gertz is at that point, and she's worked hard to get there. She's been in plenty of movie and TV roles, including Twister (1996) and Crossroads (1986). She also had a recurring role on Square Pegs in the 1980s and was on the sitcom The Neighbors. She is a part-owner of NBA team the Atlanta Hawks, along with her husband Tony Ressler. From roles in film to the role of wife and businesswoman, it seems that Gertz has enjoyed it all.

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The Lost Boys (1987) helped greatly with her popularity, as the film has critical and commercial success, as did Quicksilver (1986) and Less Than Zero (1987). It's no wonder that Gertz was practically a household name throughout the 1980s and well into the 1990s. But how did she get her start, and now that she's worth billions as a businesswoman and actress alongside her husband, where will she go next? We have the answers to your questions about Gertz, her early life, and the plans she has for the future. Read on to find out more.

The Early Years for a Chicago Girl

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Born in Chicago, Illinois, Gertz grew up in Glenview, which is a suburb of the city. She has said, "If you can laugh, you can get through it. In our house, we laugh a lot." Getting through it together is an important part of what matters to Gertz, as she knows and acknowledges that life isn't always perfect even when you're in the spotlight. She's the child of Walter and Sharyn Gertz, and her father worked as a builder and contractor when she was growing up. Graduating from Maine East High School, was has raised in conservative Judaism and then left the area to pursue acting after being discovered in a national talent search.

Gertz has two brothers, Scott and Michael, who help keep her grounded to her family and her roots while she soars in acting and business. She was discovered by Norman Lear, and that led her to attended NYU to study acting. She was in an episode of Diff'rent Strokes, and was also in The Facts of Life. Her film debut came in 1981, with the romantic movie Endless Love. From there, she co-starred in Square Pegs (1982-1983). When that series ended she turned her attention back to film, and starred or co-starred in some of the most popular movies of that time, including The Lost Boys and Less Than Zero.

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A Career in Acting and the Business World

Working on Twister is what really set her apart, though, and helped her be seen outside of her role on Square Pegs. She has been in an episode of Seinfeld, and was reportedly offered the role of Rachel on Friends, but turned it down. She also had appearances on Still Standing and Modern Family, along with portraying Gilda Radner in a movie about that actress' life. It's clear that working was important to Gertz, as she sought to establish herself and then keep going to see what other roles she could take on and what else she could offer to Hollywood and the fans and critics who were seeing her as a number of characters.

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As for her home life, Gertz has said, "As a mom, I always feel I have to protect them. I talk about them because they are the most important things in my life but they are private people. I won't use them for my own press." She's very careful about her children and her personal life, as she knows that some things really should be kept personal. She married Ressler in 1989, and the couple have three boys together. They live in Beverly Park, which is neighborhood in Los Angeles, and also have a vacation home in Malibu. They give to charity and work to improve things for those who are less fortunate.

In 2011, the Giving Back Fund named Gertz and Ressler the top celebrities for donating to charity for the previous year. Gertz is also on the Board of Directors for the Melanoma Research Alliance, and Gertz-Ressler High Academy is named after the couple. That school is part of the Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools, which operates charter schools throughout the Los Angeles area. While Gertz doesn't take on too many acting roles these days because her other work and her family life keeps her busy, it's likely that fans and critics haven't seen the last of what she can do on the big screen.