39 Facts About Thora Birch

Thora Birch was born on March 11,1982 and is an American actress and producer.

Thora Birch made her feature film debut in 1988 with a starring role in Purple People Eater, for which she received a Young Artist Award for "Best Young Actress Under Nine Years of Age".

Thora Birch received further acclaim with her starring role as Enid in the cult hit Ghost World, for which she earned several accolades including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.

In 2003, Thora Birch received an Emmy Award nomination for playing the title role in the television film Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story.

Thora Birch has collaborated on three occasions with director Phillip Noyce: Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and Above Suspicion.

Thora Birch took a break from acting between 2012 and 2016, but has since had parts in several independent features, such as The Last Black Man in San Francisco.

In 2022, Thora Birch made her television movie directorial debut with The Gabby Petito Story for Lifetime.

Thora Birch was born in Los Angeles to Jack Thora Birch and Carol Connors, former pornographic film actors who both appeared in the film Deep Throat.

Thora Birch is of German-Jewish, Scandinavian, French-Canadian and Italian ancestry.

Thora Birch's forename is derived from that of Norse god of thunder and lightning, "Thor", which would have been her name if she had been born a boy.

Thora Birch got her first big break at the age of four, when the babysitter accompanied her to a successful audition for a Quaker Oats commercial.

Thora Birch appeared in commercials in the late 1980s for Burger King, California Raisins, Quaker Oats, and Vlasic Pickles.

Thora Birch made her film debut in the 1988 science-fiction comedy Purple People Eater, for which she won a Youth In Film Award and a Young Artist Award in the category of "Best Young Actress Under Nine Years of Age".

In 1990, Thora Birch had one of the lead roles in the sitcom Parenthood, based on the 1989 film of the same name.

Thora Birch won her role over more than 4,000 other young hopefuls who auditioned for it.

At 11 years old, Thora Birch appeared in the fantasy comedy Hocus Pocus, opposite Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker.

In 1995, Thora Birch was cast as the younger version of Melanie Griffith's character in the coming-of-age film Now and Then, starring Gaby Hoffmann, Christina Ricci, Demi Moore and Rosie O'Donnell.

Thora Birch landed a leading role in the adventure drama Alaska opposite Vincent Kartheiser, portraying two siblings who search through the Alaskan wilderness for their lost father.

Thora Birch subsequently filmed the made-for-television film Night Ride Home and an uncredited role for Anywhere but Here, both released in 1999.

The small-scale drama The Smokers received a straight-to-DVD release in the US, going largely unnoticed, but Thora Birch was called "a scene-stealer" in her supporting role by The Hollywood Reporter.

Thora Birch headlined the 2001 black comedy Ghost World, directed by Terry Zwigoff and co-starring Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi and Brad Renfro.

Thora Birch appeared as the title character in the biographical television film Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story, playing a young woman who, after becoming homeless at 15 amid personal tragedies, begins her work to finish her studies.

Thora Birch garnered acclaim for her part, receiving an Emmy nomination.

Thora Birch appeared in several music videos including Moby's "We Are All Made of Stars", and Limp Bizkit's "Eat You Alive", which featured Bill Paxton.

Thora Birch played a supporting role in Silver City, a political satire written and directed by John Sayles, which premiered at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Thora Birch followed with the female lead role in the 2008 slasher Train.

Thora Birch appeared in the 2009 psychological thriller Deadline, co-starring Brittany Murphy.

In 2010, Thora Birch took on the role of Sidney Bloom in the made-for-television movie The Pregnancy Pact, which was based on the 2008 media circus surrounding teenagers in Gloucester, Massachusetts, who allegedly agreed to concurrently give birth and raise their children communally.

Later in 2010, Thora Birch was cast and scheduled to make her American stage debut in the off Broadway revival of Dracula, but was fired for the behavior of her father, her manager at the time, who physically threatened one of the show's cast members.

Thora Birch starred in the 2012 independent dramedy Petunia, playing the role of Vivian Petunia.

Thora Birch is credited as a co-producer in the film, which depicts simultaneously the lives and romantic relationships of the Petunia family.

Thora Birch then went to Kentucky to shoot the thriller Above Suspicion, based on the book of the same name by New York Times columnist Joe Sharkey, and co-starring Jack Huston, Emilia Clarke and Johnny Knoxville.

In 2018, Thora Birch starred in the political thriller Affairs of State, with David Corenswet, Mimi Rogers, and Adrian Grenier.

Thora Birch co-produced the film, which was picked up for distribution by VMI Worldwide.

In 2021 Thora Birch starred in the independent film 13 Minutes.

In 2022, Thora Birch made her directorial debut with The Gabby Petito Story for Lifetime; she co-starred in the film.

Thora Birch had previously worked with Lifetime on two films in which she starred.

Thora Birch married talent manager and philanthropist Michael Benton Adler on December 21,2018.

Thora Birch is a long-time Democrat who was a delegate at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.