Thora Birch
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Thora Birch (March 11, 1982 –) is an American actress. Thora was also a former child star, starring in 1990s hits such as Now and Then, Hocus Pocus and Monkey Trouble. Thora first started acting in more mature films, in the 1999 hit American Beauty.
Biography
Early life
Birch was born in Los Angeles, California, the eldest child of Jack Birch and Carol Connors, a former adult film actress who appeared in the seminal pornographic film Deep Throat her parents now work as her managers. Birch, who has a brother named Bolt Birch, is of Jewish, Nordic, and Italian descent; the family's original surname was "Biersch", coming from her German Jewish ancestors. Her given name is a feminized form of the name Thor, the God of the Sky and of Thunder in Norse mythology.Career
From an early age, Birch was encouraged by her parents to audition for commercials. She landed several parts representing companies such as Quaker Oats and Vlasic Pickles. However, it wasn't until 1988 that her acting career really began. She was cast as Molly in the short-lived television series Day By Day, where she was billed simply as "Thora." That same year she played an important role in the movie Purple People Eater opposite Ned Beatty and Neil Patrick Harris for which she won a Youth In Film Award for her performance.Thora was cast in her first, real break-though role in 1991 when she played Billie Pike in the movie Paradise which also starred Don Johnson, Melanie Griffith and Elijah Wood. She was able to get this role by beating out over 4,000 young hopefuls who auditioned for it. Her ability to portray herself as a young tomboy landed her many parts in movies including Hocus Pocus and the big-budget films Patriot Games in 1992 and its sequel, Clear and Present Danger in 1994. In 1995, Thora was cast in the movie Now and Then which is regarded as Thora's first venture into teenage roles. In the mid 90s she also made guest-starring appearances on various television shows such as "The Outer Limits", "Promised Land" and "Touched By An Angel".
-->She took break from acting but returned in 1999 with the made-for-TV movie Night Ride Home. She also was initially casted for the role of Tammy Metzler in the dark-comedy Election, but ended up leaving after only the third day of filming after disagreements with director/writer Alexander Payne. That same year, she won critical praise by playing Jane Burnham in American Beauty which eventually won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Some consider it to be her first adult role; she was only 16, and thus a minor in the United States, when the movie was made, therefore her parents had to approve Birch's brief topless scene in the movie. Her parents and child labor representatives were on the set for the shooting of the scene.
It was her lead role in Ghost World which won her great critical praise, alongside Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi and Brad Renfro. That year, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress.
Recently she began directing short video sketches for the sketch comedy troupe The Doomed Planet.
Personal life
Birch has indicated that she has aspirations of one day becoming a director. She currently lives in her own home in southern California.Birch is a vegetarian and holds a blue belt in karate.
Awards
- 2001 - Toronto Film Critics Association Award - Ghost World
- 2000 - Young Star Award - American Beauty
- 2000 - Young Artist Award - American Beauty
- 1994 - Young Artist Award - Hocus Pocus
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role | Other notes |
| 2006 | Shamrock Boy | Nulla McGarvey | Announced. Start of production |
| 2006 | Boomerang Deal | Announced. Start of production | |
| 2005 | Slingshot | April | |
| 2004 | The Dot | Narrator | |
| 2004 | Silver City | Karen Cross | |
| 2003 | Liz Murray | Television movie | |
| 2002 | Shadow Realm | Susan Thornhill | Television movie |
| 2001 | The Hole | Liz Dunn | |
| 2001 | Ghost World | Enid | |
| 2000 | Dungeons & Dragons | Empress Savina | |
| 2000 | The Smokers | Lincoln Roth | |
| 1999 | Anywhere But Here | Mary | uncredited |
| 1999 | American Beauty | Jane Burnham | |
| 1999 | Night Ride Home | Clea Mahler | Television movie |
| 1996 | Alaska | Jessie Barnes | |
| 1995 | Now and Then | Young Tina "Teeny" Tercell | |
| 1994 | Clear and Present Danger | Sally Ryan | |
| 1994 | Monkey Trouble | Eva | |
| 1993 | Hocus Pocus | Dani | |
| 1992 | Patriot Games | Sally Ryan | |
| 1992 | The Itsy Bitsy Spider | (voice) | |
| 1991 | All I Want For Christmas | Hallie O'Fallon | |
| 1991 | Paradise | Billie Pike | |
| 1990 | Dark Avenger | Susie Donovan | Television movie |
| 1990 | Parenthood | Taylor Buckham | Television series |
| 1988 | Day by Day | Molly | Television Series |
| 1988 | Purple People Eater | Molly Johnson |
References
External links
- [] at TV.com
- [Official Thora Birch Site]
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