The wealthiest actor in the world boasts a staggering net worth of $3 billion, yet she isn’t a household name for many. Jami Gertz embarked on her acting journey as a child and has since graced 28 films and 174 television episodes.
At 59, Gertz is most recognized for her performances in “Twister,” “The Lost Boys,” “Still Standing,” and “Sixteen Candles.” She also starred in the ABC sitcom “The Neighbors,” which follows a family that relocates to a community inhabited by aliens.
As of 2023, Gertz’s net worth was reportedly $3 billion, surpassing renowned actors like Margot Robbie, Robert De Niro, and Jennifer Lopez, earning her the title of the world’s richest actor.
Intriguingly, only a small fraction of her wealth stems from her acting roles—though still a significant amount for most people.
Her financial prosperity is largely due to her ventures outside of acting. Gertz and her husband, businessman Tony Ressler, have invested in sports teams and are part owners of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. They also hold minority ownership in the baseball team Milwaukee Beavers.
Forbes lists Ressler’s net worth at $10.5 billion, primarily from his finance ventures, Apollo Global Management and Ares Management.
The couple married in 1989, with Ressler founding Apollo Global a year after their wedding and later establishing Ares in 1997.
In a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gertz remarked, “everyone thinks I married a rich guy,” but revealed she earned “way more” money than Ressler when they met. “I paid for our first vacation. I married him because I fell in love with him,” she stated.
Considering her acting career alone, how much has Gertz earned?
Starting with her film roles, data from industry talent site Backstage suggests main cast members earn a minimum of $65,000 per project. Gertz was a main cast member in approximately 15 films, potentially earning her at least $975,000 from these roles.
In addition, she had minor roles in 13 films. If each required an average of two days of filming, she would have earned a minimum rate of $3,000 per appearance, according to Backstage figures.
This would add $39,000 to her earnings, making her total film income approximately $1,014,000.
Gertz has appeared in 174 TV episodes, with 123 as a lead or main cast member. Calculating earnings for TV roles is trickier, as series actors are generally paid weekly. According to Backstage, series regulars receive $5,364 weekly for six half-hour episodes, translating to $894 per episode.
Applying this to Gertz’s 123 leading episodes, she might have earned $109,962. However, her pay was likely higher, particularly for central roles in shows like “The Neighbors” and “Still Standing.”
For her 51 minor TV appearances, Backstage data suggests actors earn $1,158 for one-day, one-off shoots. Assuming each took one day, she would have earned $59,058, bringing her total TV earnings to $169,020.
Combining her film and TV earnings, Gertz’s minimum estimated income from acting is $1,183,020. This sum accounts for just 0.039 percent of her current net worth.
These calculations exclude royalties, commission, or inflation, suggesting her actual total might be higher, though still a small portion of her overall wealth.