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Thora Birch
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Thora Birch (born March 11, 1982) is an American actress. She was a leading child actor in the 1990s, starring in movies such as Hocus Pocus (1993), Now and Then (1995), and Alaska (1996). Since the 1990s she has moved on to more mature roles, in films such as American Beauty (1999) and Ghost World (2001).
h was born in Los Angeles, California, the eldest child of Jack Birch and Carol Connors.
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Encyclopedia
Thora Birch (born March 11, 1982) is an American actress. She was a leading child actor in the 1990s, starring in movies such as Hocus Pocus (1993), Now and Then (1995), and Alaska (1996). Since the 1990s she has moved on to more mature roles, in films such as American Beauty (1999) and Ghost World (2001).
Biography
Early life and career
Birch was born in Los Angeles, California, the eldest child of Jack Birch and Carol Connors. Both parents (her business managers from the start) are former adult film actors. Carol Connors and Jack Birch both appeared in the pornographic film Deep Throat.
Her family comes from German-Jewish ancestry. She has a younger brother by the name of Bolt Birch. Her name Thora is derived from the name of the Norse God of thunder and lightning, Thor. She is a vegetarian and is trained in karate with a blue belt in particular.
From an early age, Birch's parents encouraged her to audition for commercials. She landed several parts, including advertisements for Quaker Oats and Vlasic Pickles. Her first acting job followed. In 1988, she landed the role of Molly in the short-lived television series Day By Day. She was billed simply as "Thora." That same year she won a part in the movie Purple People Eater opposite Ned Beatty and Neil Patrick Harris. Her performance won her a Youth In Film Award.
Paradise
Birch's breakthrough role came in 1991 when she was cast as 'tomboy' Billie Pike in the movie Paradise which also starred Don Johnson, Melanie Griffith, and Elijah Wood. To obtain the role, she had to compete with more than 4,000 other young hopefuls who auditioned for it. Birch received critical praise for her performance.
1991-1995
Birch's ability to portray herself as a young tomboy landed her several parts during the period of 1991-1995, including the role of Dani in Hocus Pocus (1993). She won leading roles in such films as All I Want for Christmas (1991) and Monkey Trouble (1994). She appeared in two Harrison Ford films, Patriot Games (1992) and its sequel, Clear and Present Danger (1994).
Now & Then
Birch's performance in the 1995 film Now and Then teamed her with Gaby Hoffmann, Christina Ricci, Demi Moore, Rosie O'Donnell, and Melanie Griffith. Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter, the film is about four friends who have been so preoccupied with their own lives that they have not seen one another for some time until the impending birth of one of their babies reunites them. Upon reuniting, they reminisce about events during the summer of 1970, when they were 12, which were ultimately influential in shaping their lives. It was during that summer, a mixture of both happy and sad events, that they realized that adulthood was fast approaching, that they began to work out what life was about and what they wished to do with their own lives. They also promised to be there for another, hence the reason why they were reuniting for the birth of the baby. The film was a female take on the film Stand by Me.
Alaska
In 1996, she landed a leading role in the adventure film, Alaska (1996). She played the role of Jessie Barnes, who has moved to Alaska with her father (played by
Dirk Benedict) and brother after the death of her mother. Her father is a former airline pilot and upon moving to Alaska, he starts earning a living by delivering supplies to small towns in the Alaskan wilderness in his light aircraft. While making a delivery, his plane crashes into a mountainside. Concluding that not enough was being done to locate him, Jessie and her brother set out on a successful attempt to find him with the help of a baby polar bear.
1996-1999: break from acting
After guest-starring appearances in the The Outer Limits, Promised Land, and Touched by an Angel, Birch took a break from acting. In 1999, she returned in the made-for-TV movie Night Ride Home and also took a small uncredited role in the Natalie Portman film Anywhere but Here. She was initially cast in the role of Tammy Metzler in the dark-comedy Election, but ended up leaving after only the third day of filming due to disagreements with director/writer Alexander Payne. Jessica Campbell was then given the role of Metzler.
American Beauty
Later in 1999, Birch won enormous critical praise playing the role of Jane Burnham in American Beauty and was nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award. The movie itself went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. As Birch was barely 17 at the time she made the film, and thus classified as a minor in the United States, her parents had to approve her brief topless scene in the movie and they and child labor representatives were on the set for the shooting of it.
Ghost World
After leading roles in The Smokers (2000), Dungeons & Dragons (2000), and The Hole (2001), Birch landed the leading role in Ghost World, alongside Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, and Brad Renfro. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.
2001 to 2008
Birch's most notable roles since 2001 have been that of Liz Murray in Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story (2003) and April in Slingshot (2005). Recent films include Dark Corners (in which she appeared in the lead role as a woman who wakes up one day as a different person and ends up being stalked by gruesome creatures), Tainted Love, and Winter of Frozen Dreams.
An incident during the filming of the last of these has proven controversial. The crew of The Winter of Frozen Dreams were quoted as being disturbed when the 25-year-old American Beauty star's father and manager insisted on watching her graphic scenes with 44-year-old Dean Winters. Sources told the New York Post newspaper: "It was so wrong. The director is saying, 'Harder! Faster!' and the father is giving Winters the thumbs up," and "[i]t was the most bizarre, perverse scene. One girl on the crew broke down crying."
Birch stars in the film Train alongside her brother, Bolt Birch. The movie entails a trip to Europe for a group of American college athletes who unknowingly board a train that is occupied by a brutal killer. Birch has also been negotiating to have a part in the 2009 film Frail.
Future ambition
Birch has indicated that she aspires to become a director and has recently begun directing short video sketches for a sketch comedy troupe called The Doomed Planet. The sketches can be seen on her official website.
Awards
- 2001 - Toronto Film Critics Association Award -
Ghost World2000 - Young Star Award - American Beauty2000 - Young Artist Award - American Beauty2000 - Young Hollywood Award - Best On-screen Chemistry - American Beauty (1999), shared with Wes Bentley2000 - YoungStar Award - Best Young Actress/Performance in a Motion Picture Drama - American Beauty (1999)1994 - Young Artist Award - Hocus Pocus
- nominations
- 2001 - Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical -
Ghost World2000 - BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress - American Beauty2002 - MTV Movie Award Best Dressed - Ghost World (2001)
Filmography
Music videos
From the album 18, released in 2002.
From the album Results May Vary, released in 2003.
External links
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