BIRCH, Thora 1982–

(Thora)

PERSONAL

Full name, Thora Renee Birch; born March 11, 1982, in Los Angeles, CA; daughter of Jack (a talent manager) and Carol Birch; brother of Kian Bolt Birch (an actor). Avocational Interests: Blue belt in karate.

Addresses: Agent—The Gersh Agency, 232 North Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Career: Actress. Appeared in television commercials and public service announcements.

Awards, Honors: Young Artist Award, best young actress under nine years of age, Young Artist Foundation, 1989, and Youth In Film Award, both for Purple People Eater; Young Artist Award nomination (with others), best young actor/young actress ensemble in a television comedy, drama series, or special, 1989, and Young Artist Award nomination, outstanding performance by an actress under nine years of age, 1990, both for Day by Day; Young Artist Award nomination, best young actress supporting or re–occurring role for a television series, 1991, for Parenthood; Young Artist Award, best young actress starring in a motion picture, 1992, for Paradise; Young Artists Award nomination, best young actress under ten in a motion picture, 1993, for Patriot Games; Young Artist Award nomination, best young actress starring in a motion picture, 1993, for All I Want for Christmas; Young Artist Award, best youth actress leading role in a motion picture, 1994, for Hocus Pocus; Young Artist Award nomination (with others), best performance by a young ensemble—feature film or video, 1996, for Now and Then; Young Artist Award nomination, best performance in a feature film—leading young actress, 1997, for Alaska; San Diego Film Critics Society Award, best supporting actress, 1999, Screen Actors Guild Award (with others), outstanding performance by a cast in a theatrical motion picture, Young Artist Award, best performance in a feature film—supporting young actress, YoungStar Award, best young actress/performance in a motion picture drama, Hollywood Reporter, Young Hollywood Award (with Wes Bentley), best on–screen chemistry, Online Film Critic Society Award (with others), best ensemble cast performance, Film Award nomination, best performance by an actress in a supporting role, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination, favorite supporting actress—drama, and Online Film Critics Society Award nomination, best supporting actress, all 2000, all for American Beauty; Acting Prize, best female performance, Deauville Film Festival, 2000, Toronto Film Critic Association Award, best performance—female, Golden Space Needle Award, best actress, Seattle International Film Festival, and San Diego Film Critics Society Award, best actress, all 2001, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actress in a motion picture—musical or comedy, Chicago Film Critics Association Award nomination, best actress, Golden Satellite Award nomination, best performance by an actress in a motion picture—comedy or musical, International Press Academy, Online Film Critics Association Award nomination, best actress, and MTV Movie Award nominations, best dressed and best line, all 2002, all for Ghost World; Young Artist Award nomination, best performance in a feature film—supporting young actress, 2001, for Dungeons & Dragons; Cinescape Genre Face of the Future Award nomination, female, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, 2002, for Dungeons & Dragons and Ghost World; Young Hollywood Award, talent for charity, 2002; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or movie, 2003, for Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story; DVD Premiere Award nomination, best supporting actress, 2003, for The Smokers; Young Hollywood Award, Savannah Film and Video Festival, 2003.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

(As Thora) Molly Johnson, Purple People Eater, Concorde Pictures, 1988.

Billie Pike, Paradise, Buena Vista, 1991.

Hallie O'Fallon, All I Want for Christmas, Paramount, 1991.

Sally Ryan, Patriot Games, Paramount, 1992.

Voice of piano student, The Itsy Bitsy Spider (animated short film), Paramount, 1992.

Dani, Hocus Pocus, Buena Vista, 1993.

Eva, Monkey Trouble (also known as Pet), New Line Cinema, 1994.

Sally Ryan, Clear and Present Danger, Paramount, 1994.

Young Teeny Tercell, Now and Then (also known as Dear Friends), New Line Cinema, 1995.

Jessie Barnes, Alaska, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 1996.

Jane Burnham, American Beauty, DreamWorks, 1999.

(Uncredited) Mary, Anywhere but Here, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1999.

Empress Savina, Dungeons & Dragons (also known as Dungeons & Dragons: The Movie), New Line Cinema, 2000.

Enid, Ghost World, Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer, 2000.

Lincoln Roth, The Smokers, Atmosphere Films/RGH/Lions Share Pictures, 2000.

Elizabeth Dunn, The Hole (also known as After the Hole), Dimension Films, 2001.

Karen Cross, Silver City, Newmarket Films, 2004.

Voice of narrator, The Dot (animated short film), Weston Woods Studios, 2004.

April, Slingshot, 2005.

Julie, Vinyl, 2005.

Boomerang Deal, 2006.

Film Work:

Executive producer, Vinyl, 2005.

Television Appearances; Series:

(As Thora) Molly, Day by Day, NBC, 1988–89.

(As Thora) Taylor Buckman, Parenthood, NBC, 1990.

Television Appearances; Movies:

(As Thora) Susan Donovan, Dark Avenger, CBS, 1990.

Susan Thornhill, Shadow Realm, Sci–Fi Channel, 2002.

Liz Murray, Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story, Lifetime, 2003.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Sally Ryan, The Secret World of Spying (documentary), 1992.

Clea Mahler, "Night Ride Home," Hallmark Hall of Fame, CBS, 1999.

The Great American History Quiz: America at War, History Channel, 2001.

(Uncredited) Sally Ryan, Patriot Games: Up Close, 2002.

Herself, Inside the Playboy Mansion (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 2002.

Playboy's 50th Anniversary Celebration, Arts and Entertainment, 2003.

Presenter, Women Rock!, Lifetime, 2004.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

(Uncredited) Presenter, MTV Europe Music Awards 2000, MTV, 2000.

Herself, The 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (also known as The Sixth Annual Blockbuster Entertainment Awards), Fox, 2000.

The 72nd Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2000.

Herself, The 55th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Fox, 2003.

The Eighth Annual Prism Awards, FX Channel, 2004.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Meagan Kinnevy, "Vinnie Video Vici," Doogie Howser, M.D., ABC, 1989.

Emily, "To Live and Drive in LA," Married People, ABC, 1990.

Ann Sherman, "Here Comes the Son," Monty, Fox, 1994.

Aggie Travers, "The Choice," The Outer Limits, Showtime and syndicated, 1995.

Herself, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, NBC, 1996.

Herself, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1996.

Allison Rhodes, "Running Scared," Promised Land, CBS, 1997.

Erin, "The Pact," Touched by an Angel, CBS, 1997.

Herself, Donny and Marie (also known as The Donny and Marie Hour), syndicated, 1999.

Herself, The Martin Short Show, syndicated, 1999.

Herself, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 1999.

Herself, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, CBS, 2001.

Herself, The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS, multiple episodes in 2001.

Herself, Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher (also known as Politically Incorrect), ABC, 2001.

Susan Thornhill, "The Maze," Night Visions, Fox, 2002.

Herself, Jimmy Kimmel Live, ABC, 2003.

(Uncredited; in archive footage) Herself, Celebrities Uncensored, E! Entertainment Television, 2004.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Herself, American Beauty: Look Closer... (short documentary), DreamWorks Home Entertainment, 2000.

Herself, Making of "Ghost World" (short documentary), Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer, 2002.

Music Videos:

Limp Bizkit, "Eat You Alive," 2003.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Newsmakers, Issue 4, Gale Group, 2002.

Periodicals:

The A List, 3, 2000, pp. 4–5.

Entertainment Weekly, October 22, 1999, pp. 52–53.

Evening Standard Hot Tickets, January 28, 2000, p. 11.

Femme Fatales, January, 2001, pp. 8–11.

Interview, March, 2002, pp. 162–68, 182; November, 2002, pp. 83–86.

Movieline, December, 2000, p. 14.

New Weekly, February 14, 2000.