Gertz was born in Chicago, Illinois, and lived in the city\'s nearby suburb of Glenview. Her parents are Sharyn and Walter Gertz, who was a builder and contractor, and she has two brothers, Michael and Scott. Gertz, who is Jewish, was raised in Conservative Judaism. She graduated from Maine East High School.\n', '

She was discovered in a nationwide talent search by Norman Lear and studied drama at NYU.\n', 'As a child actor, 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. 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. She gained more significant 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 as Star, the "half vampire" girlfriend, with Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric.\n', '

After working in Paris as a scent designer for Lanvin, Gertz returned to the United States 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. She reportedly was offered, but declined, the role of Rachel Green, during pre-production of Friends.\n', '

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