Raised in Glenview, Illinois, Gertz attended public school before a nationwide talent search opened an unexpected door. Roles in films including The Lost Boys and appearances in popular sitcoms established her career, but celebrity never became her only ambition. When she married Tony Ressler in 1989, she was the more established earner. She has recalled paying for their first home and vacations—a detail that complicates assumptions about how their extraordinary financial story began.

Ressler subsequently co-founded Apollo Global Management and Ares Management, helping create the fortune associated with the couple today. Their interests expanded into professional basketball through the Atlanta Hawks, while philanthropy became another significant commitment. Gertz also serves on the Melanoma Research Alliance board. Although billionaire wealth estimates often place her atop lists of wealthy actresses, those figures reflect family and investment wealth, not simply acting income. Her story reaches well beyond Hollywood: early responsibility, enduring partnership, and priorities that outlasted fame.