Birth : 11 March 1982, Los Angeles, California, USA
Height : 5' 4"
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From _Monkey Trouble (1994)_ (qv) to _American Beauty (1999)_ (qv)-- that's Hollywood "Hocus Pocus"! Thora Birch was born on Thursday (as in Thor's Day) March 11, 1982. Her father Jack, and mom Carol, named her after the Norse God Thor ("Thora" being the feminine), the God of thunder; she has a younger brother named Bolt. Thora appeared in one of the "classic" California raisin commercials in 1986 (at age 4), and later did other commercials. At age 6, Thora appeared in _Purple People Eater (1988)_ (qv) and won a Youth in Film Award for her performance. Then she appeared in the television series _"Parenthood" (1990)_ (qv), which co-starred a not-yet-discovered 'Leonardo DiCaprio' (qv). Thora's breakout movie was _Paradise (1991)_ (qv) with bona fide stars 'Don Johnson (I)' (qv) and 'Melanie Griffith' (qv); Thora bested 4,000 young hopefuls to land the role, and she again got great reviews. Thora appeared in _Hocus Pocus (1993)_ (qv) with major stars; however, she got real recognition by having a starring role in _Monkey Trouble (1994)_ (qv), in which her affection for her pet (and sometimes scene-stealing) monkey basically carried the entire movie (she and the monkey did their own stunts). All grown up, this petite beauty (5' 4") with green eyes had a major role in _American Beauty (1999)_ (qv) which won 5 Oscar awards. Thora delivered a strong, effective performance as the alienated daughter of parents whose mid-life crises drive them to affairs and destruction; her acting was convincing and inspired, and once again received good reviews. A down-to-earth young woman in real life, she loves Italian food and diet root beer. For some people, oatmeal starts the day off right - for Thora Birch, it launched a healthy career in front of the camera. It's hard to believe that the raven-haired actress, who slunk into stardom with her turn as the disillusioned daughter in _American Beauty (1999)_ (qv), is even related to the apple-cheeked blonde who once gazed up at Quaker Oats (R) spokesman 'Wilford Brimley' (qv) and said, "Mmm-hmm. Yeah, grandpa," but Birch still remembers the professional advice Brimley whispered in her ear: maintain eye contact and *really* listen. Since then she's had ample opportunity to study some of Hollywood's top talents at work - in addition to her 'Beauty' scenes with 'Kevin Spacey' (qv) and 'Annette Bening' (qv), she's acted alongside 'Harrison Ford (I)' (qv), 'Harvey Keitel' (qv), and 'Jeremy Irons' (qv). Named after the Norse god of thunder, Thora was born in Los Angeles to Jack and Carol Birch (they kept up the tempestuous theme by naming her younger brother Bolt). By age 4 she was a regular at commercial auditions, and by 6 she'd landed a spot on the short-lived daycare sitcom _"Day by Day" (1988)_ (qv). Her film career got off to an auspicious start that same year, when she won a Young Artist Award for her debut opposite 'Neil Patrick Harris' (qv) in the children's fantasy flick _Purple People Eater (1988)_ (qv). After a short break, she picked up a role in another fleeting sitcom, _"Parenthood" (1990)_ (qv) (based on the movie of the same name). By age 9, Birch had her life pretty much figured out - she told the L.A. Times that she planned to become a director by 24, then spend a year ice skating, then spend a year as a policewoman, and, finally, become a singer. She picked up her last name (early appearances credited her as just "Thora") and returned to the big screen as 'Elijah Wood' (qv)'s tomboy friend in _Paradise (1991)_ (qv). She then scored a high-profile supporting role as 'Harrison Ford (I)' (qv)'s daughter in _Patriot Games (1992)_ (qv), which she reprised in _Clear and Present Danger (1994)_ (qv). In between, she kept busy with family films _Hocus Pocus (1993)_ (qv) and _Monkey Trouble (1994)_ (qv). In 1995, Birch graduated into adolescent territory with her turn as a younger 'Melanie Griffith' (qv) in _Now and Then (1995)_ (qv). She followed that up with a top-billed role in the snowy adventure _Alaska (1996)_ (qv), then took a three year hiatus from acting. She resurfaced in 1999, first in the made-for-TV _Night Ride Home (1999) (TV)_ (qv) and then, more visibly, in _American Beauty (1999) _. Birch had heard about 'Beauty' through the industry grapevine, and she immediately set her sights on the part of Jane Burnham. As it turned out, she was the first to audition for director 'Sam Mendes (I)' (qv); while he saw dozens of other actresses for the role, none delivered a more convincing Jane. Still reeling from her sudden celebrity status, Birch plucked a handful of diverse projects from the deluge of post-'Beauty' scripts. Seeking an even edgier adolescent role, she appeared as a punk-rocker in the indie film _The Smokers (2000)_ (qv), then dropped the tough-girl pose to play the gentle Empress Savina in the live-action adaptation of _Dungeons & Dragons (2000)_ (qv). She also signed up to play a teen hipster caught up in a post-high school identity crisis in _Ghost World (2001)_ (qv) (based on the graphic novel), and an English schoolgirl in the thriller _The Hole (2001)_ (qv). Style-conscious and sophisticated beyond her years, Birch lives on her family's East L.A. ranch (where she recently finished high school through a computer-based correspondence course). She still hopes to try her hand at directing someday, but for now she's content to continue blossoming in front of the camera.
Biography written by: IMDb Editors
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- 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (2000) (TV) (also archive footage) [Herself/Jane Burnham]
- 50 Cutest Child Stars: All Grown Up (2005) (TV) (also archive footage) [Herself/Little Girl]
- 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2001) (TV) (uncredited) [Herself - Presenter]
- Alaska (1996) [Jessie Barnes] <1>
- All I Want for Christmas (1991) [Hallie O'Fallon] <5>
- American Beauty (1999) [Jane Burnham] <3>
- American Beauty: Look Closer... (2000) (V) (also archive footage) [Herself/Jane Burnham]
- Anywhere But Here (1999) (uncredited) [Mary]
- Blackbird Hall (1995) (TV)
- Brit Awards 2000 (2000) (TV) [Herself - Presenter]
- Capitalism: A Love Story (2009) [Herself]
- Cavegirl (2009) {{SUSPENDED}} [Cavegirl]
- Clear and Present Danger (1994) [Sally Ryan] <12>
- Crossmaglen (2011) [Nulla McGarvey]
- Dark Avenger (1990) (TV) (as Thora) [Susie Donovan] <14>
- Dark Corners (2006) [Karen Clarke/Susan Hamilton] <1>
- Deadline (2009/I) [Lucy] <2>
- Dungeons & Dragons (2000) [Empress Savina] <7>
- Forbes 20 Under 25: Young, Rich and Famous (2007) (TV) (archive footage) (uncredited) [Enid]
- Ghost World (2001) [Enid] <1>
- Hocus Pocus (1993) [Dani] <5>
- Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story (2003) (TV) [Liz Murray] <1>
- Making of 'Ghost World' (2002) (V) (also archive footage) [Herself/Enid]
- Monkey Trouble (1994) [Eva] <2>
- MTV Europe Music Awards 2000 (2000) (TV) (uncredited) [Herself - Presenter]
- Night Ride Home (1999) (TV) [Clea Mahler] <3>
- Now and Then (1995) [Teeny] <3>
- Paradise (1991) [Billie Pike] <4>
- Patriot Games (1992) [Sally Ryan] <5>
- Patriot Games: Up Close (2002) (TV) (archive footage) (uncredited) [Sally Ryan]
- Playboy Exposed: Playboy Mansion Parties Uncensored (2001) (V) [Herself]
- Playboy: Inside the Playboy Mansion (2002) (TV) [Herself] <23>
- Pregnancy Pact (2010) (TV) [Sidney Bloom] <1>
- Purple People Eater (1988) (as Thora) [Molly Johnson]
- Shadow Realm (2002) (TV) [Susan Thornhill] <9>
- Silver City (2004) [Karen Cross] <16>
- Slingshot (2005) [April] <2>
- The 2002 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (2002) (TV) (uncredited) [Herself]
- The 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards (2003) (TV) (uncredited) [Herself]
- The 55th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2003) (TV) (also archive footage) (uncredited) [Herself/Liz Murray]
- The 72nd Annual Academy Awards (2000) (TV) (also archive footage) [Herself - Co-Presenter: Best Documentary, Short Subjects]
- The Big Show (2001) (TV) [Herself]
- The Dot (2004) (voice) [Narrator] <1>
- The Flicker's Dance (2011) (rumored) [Danielle]
- The Hole (2001) [Liz Dunn] <1>
- The Itsy Bitsy Spider (1992) (voice) [Little Girl] <3>
- The Making of 'Dungeons and Dragons' (2001) (V) (archive footage) (uncredited) [Empress Savina]
- The Secret World of Spying (1992) (TV) [Sally Ryan] <4>
- The Smokers (2000) [Lincoln Roth] <8>
- The Story of Bonnie and Clyde (2010) (rumored) [Blanche Barrow]
- Train (2008/I) [Alex] <1>
- Winter of Frozen Dreams (2009) [Barbara Hoffman] <1>
- "20 to 1" (2005) {Sexiest Movie Moments (#5.3)} (archive footage) (uncredited) [Jane Burnham]
- "Amen" (1986) {Nothing Says Lovin'... (#5.14)} (as Thora) [Brittany]
- "Celebrities Uncensored" (2003) {(#2.6)} (archive footage) (uncredited) [Herself]
- "Current TV" (2005) [Herself (2006)]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {A Very Brady Episode (#2.11)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {Father Knows Best (#2.20)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {Foul Play (#2.17)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {Fraternity (#2.13)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {Girl Wars (#2.4)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {Harmless Harper (#2.15)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {Harper and Son (#2.5)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {How to Succeed in Day Care (#1.2)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {My Momma Done Tol' Me (#2.12)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {My World and Welcome to It (#2.1)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {Out for a Stretch (#2.9)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {Smart Women, Nice Refreshments (#2.8)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {Tears of a Clown (#2.14)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {The Age of Dinosaurs (#1.11)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {The Lost Weekend (#2.19)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {The Music Man (#2.10)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {The Reunion (#2.18)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {Three Men and a Babe (#2.16)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {Trading Places (#2.3)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {Won't You Be My Neighbor? (#2.2)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Day by Day" (1988) {You Gotta Be a Football Hero (#2.7)} (as Thora) [Molly]
- "Donny & Marie" (1998) {(1999-10-05)} (also archive footage) [Herself/Jane Burnham]
- "Doogie Howser, M.D." (1989) {Vinnie Video Vici (#1.7)} (as Thora) [Megan] <10>
- "Entertainment Tonight" (1981) {(2000-03-27)} (also archive footage) (uncredited) [Herself]
- "Headline News" (1982) {(2006-07-13)} (uncredited) [Herself]
- "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (2003) {(#1.48)} (also archive footage) [Herself/Liz Murray]
- "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (1993) {(1996-08-15)} [Herself]
- "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993) {(#8.165)} [Herself]
- "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993) {(#8.195)} [Herself - Guest] <3>
- "Live Lunch" (2001) {(2001-04-27)} [Herself - Interviewee] <5>
- "Married People" (1990) {To Live and Drive in New York (#1.14)} (as Thora) [Emily]
- "Monty" (1994) {Here Comes the Son (#1.1)} [Ann Sherman]
- "My Life as a Teenage Robot" (2003) {Escape from Cluster Prime! (#3.1)} (voice) [Vega]
- "Night Visions" (2001) {The Maze (#1.21)} [Susan Thornhill]
- "Nyhetsmorgon" (1992) {Filmen 'American Beauty' (#14.30)} [Herself]
- "Parenthood" (1990) {Cards and Cars (#1.6)} (as Thora) [Taylor Buckman] <4>
- "Parenthood" (1990) {Fun for Kids (#1.12)} (as Thora) [Taylor Buckman] <4>
- "Parenthood" (1990) {Gil vs. the Deck (#1.11)} (as Thora) [Taylor Buckman] <4>
- "Parenthood" (1990) {Hollow Halloween (#1.7)} (as Thora) [Taylor Buckman] <4>
- "Parenthood" (1990) {I Never Invested for My Father (#1.4)} (as Thora) [Taylor Buckman] <4>
- "Parenthood" (1990) {Love Stinks (#1.5)} (as Thora) [Taylor Buckman] <4>
- "Parenthood" (1990) {My Dad Can Beat Up Your BMW (#1.2)} (as Thora) [Taylor Buckman] <4>
- "Parenthood" (1990) {Pilot (#1.1)} (as Thora) [Taylor Buckman] <4>
- "Parenthood" (1990) {Small Surprises (#1.8)} (as Thora) [Taylor Buckman] <4>
- "Parenthood" (1990) {Take My Parents, Please (#1.9)} (as Thora) [Taylor Buckman] <4>
- "Parenthood" (1990) {Thanksgiving with a T That Rhymes with B That Stands for Basketball (#1.10)} (as Thora) [Taylor Buckman] <4>
- "Parenthood" (1990) {The Plague (#1.3)} (as Thora) [Taylor Buckman] <4>
- "Politically Incorrect" (1994) {(2001-07-27)} [Herself]
- "Promised Land" (1996) {Running Scared (#1.16)} [Allison Rhodes]
- "Punk'd" (2003) {(#5.4)} [Herself]
- "The Girls Next Door" (2005) {Ghostbusted (#1.10)} (uncredited) [Herself]
- "The Hollywood Greats" (1977) {Lauren Bacall} [Herself]
- "The John Walsh Show" (2002) {(2003-04-09)} (also archive footage) [Herself/Liz Murray]
- "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn" (1999) {(2000-11-30)} [Herself]
- "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn" (1999) {(2001-07-18)} [Herself]
- "The Martin Short Show" (1999) {(#1.25)} (also archive footage) [Herself/Jane Burnham]
- "The Outer Limits" (1995) {The Choice (#1.6)} [Aggie Travers] <1>
- "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" (1996) {(1996-08-15)} (also archive footage) [Herself/Little Girl]
- "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992) {(#1.9)} (also archive footage) [Herself/Sally Ryan] <2>
- "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992) {(1999-10-04)} [Herself]
- "Tom Green Live!" (2006) {(2006-11-07)} (also archive footage) [Herself/Karen Clarke/Susan Hamilton]
- "Touched by an Angel" (1994) {The Pact (#4.6)} [Erin]
- "Video on Trial" (2005) {(#1.24)} (archive footage) [Herself]
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- "Interview" (USA), March 2002, pg. 162-168+182, by: Sara Switzer; photographs by David Lachapelle, "Thora Birch: She's Been Stealing Scenes For Years. Now She's Stolen Our Hearts."
- "Playboy" (USA), August 2001, Vol. 48, Iss. 8, pg. 30, by: Leonard Maltin, "Scene Stealer: Thora Birch"
- "Evening Standard Hot Tickets" (UK), 28 January 2000, pg. 11, by: James Mottram, "Rising Star"
- "the A list" (UK), 28 January - 3 February 2000, Iss. 93, pg. 4+5, by: Thomas Quinn, "Reflections of Two Great Beauties"
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- "Femme Fatales" (USA), January 2001, Vol. 9, Iss. 9, pg. 8-11, by: Alan Jones, "Dungeons & Dragons--Thora Birch: The 'American Beauty' Is Back! Cast As the Sword 'n' Sorcery Saga's Heroine, She's Definitely Not Playing Games."
- "Movieline" (USA), December 2000, Vol. 12, Iss. 4, pg. 14, by: Jeffrey Epstein, "Hype: Thora Birch"
- "New Weekly" (Australia), 14 February 2000, "Birch Branches Out"
- "Vox" (Hungary), February 2000, Iss. 34, pg. 40, "A kis-nagylány: Thora Birch"
- "Entertainment Weekly" (USA), 22 October 1999, Vol. 1, Iss. 508, pg. 52-53, by: David Hochman, "Making Their Beauty Marks"
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- "Maxim" (USA), May 2001, Iss. special, pg. 5, by: Jamie Hughes, "Maxim Hot 100 2001: #85"
- "Celebrity Sleuth" (USA), 2000, Vol. 13, Iss. 8, pg. 16-17, by: staff, "The Hottie List: American Beauty"
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- "Interview" (USA), March 2002
- "Femme Fatales" (USA), January 2001, Vol. 9, Iss. 9
- "Jump" (USA), August 2000
- "Cinema" (Germany), June 2000, Iss. 265
- "Time Out New York" (USA), 9 September 1999, Iss. 207
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- TV commercial for Burger King (with 'Jonathan Taylor Thomas' (qv)) (1990)
- TV commercial for Quaker Oats (1987).
- Music video: "We Are All Made Of Stars" by 'Moby (I)' (qv) (2002)
- TV commercial for Eclipse Flash Strips Gum (2002)
- Print advertisements for Eclipse Flash Strips Gum (2002)
- Music video: "Eat You Alive" by 'Limp Bizkit' (qv) (2003)
- TV commercial for California Raisins (1986)
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- "For me, romance isn't an over-the-top act. It's someone offering to help and to support me. Or if that person thinks I'm making the wrong decision, he'll tell me. I want him to be honest, because being that honest takes a lot of guts."
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- Has a Blue Belt in Karate.
- Her parents, 'Jack Birch' (qv) & 'Carol Connors (I)' (qv), thought that she would be a boy, and planned on naming the child Thor, after the Norse God of Thunder and Lightning. When she was born, however, her parents feminized the name and called her Thora.
- Does her own stunts.
- Used to live on her family ranch in East Los Angeles, but now lives in an apartment in LA.
- Was fired from _Election (1999)_ (qv) due to differences with director 'Alexander Payne (I)' (qv).
- Brother is 'Bolt Birch' (qv).
- Gained 20 pounds for her role in _Ghost World (2001)_ (qv).
- Was actually only 16 years old at the time she was filmed nude for a scene in _American Beauty (1999)_ (qv). She told TV talk show host 'Craig Kilborn' (qv) when she appeared on his show in 2002 that her parents didn't have a problem with her doing a nude scene, despite her being under age, and they encouraged her to go ahead and do it. They agreed that her character's nude scene was so important to the development of her character that they gave their approval.
- Has co-starred with 'Chris Cooper (I)' (qv) in two movies, _Silver City (2004)_ (qv) and _American Beauty (1999)_ (qv), but has never appeared onscreen together with him.
- She is of German, Scandinavian, and Italian descent.
- Is a vegetarian.
- Is a contributing director for sketch comedy group The Doomed Planet.
- Appeared in 'Moby (I)' (qv)'s video "We Are All Made Of Stars" (2002) and "Eat You Alive" by 'Limp Bizkit' (qv) (2003).
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