Jerry Ziesmer Net Worth

Jerry Ziesmer was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to a postal employee and his wife, who was the daughter of Dutch immigrants. He graduated on a scholarship from Milwaukee's Rufus King High School in 1957. He received a bachelor's degree in acting from Northwestern University in 1961. After graduation he moved to Beverly Hills and took a job as a United States Post Office employee and later, a part-time junior high school Teacher. In 1964 he married Mary Kate Denny, with whom he had three children. He later obtained a master's degree from UCLA. He received a Directors Guild training certificate for assistant Directors in 1969, applying to the program after reading an advertisement in Variety.

In 1981, Ziesmer re-met and began dating his high school girlfriend and 1957 prom date, Suzanne. They married in 1982. Suzanne joined him on-set, tutoring actors including Mel Gibson.

Ziesmer served on the council of the Directors Guild of America from 1987 to 1998, for three years as the chair. He helped establish a mentorship program for women and minority Directors. For many years he and his wife, Suzanne, taught an Assistant Director’s course at UCLA's Extension school. In 2006, he won the DGA's "Frank Capra Achievement Award", a career award given to assistant Directors.

In 2000 Ziesmer wrote a memoir, Ready when You Are, Mr. Coppola, Mr. Spielberg, Mr. Crowe, that includes the most complete account of the production of Apocalypse Now.