Editing Thora Birch

{{short description|American actress (born 1982)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Thora Birch
| image              = Thora Birch Attending Los Angeles Mission's 2024 Thanksgiving Event (cropped).jpg
| image_size         = 
| caption            = Birch at the Los Angeles Mission's 2024 Thanksgiving Event
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1982|03|11}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2020/03/11/Famous-birthdays-for-March-11-Thora-Birch-Alex-Kingston/4141583704232/ |access-date=2021-09-06 |title=Famous birthdays for March 11: Thora Birch, Alex Kingston |publisher=UPI}}</ref>
| birth_place        = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| occupation         = Actress
| years_active       = 1988–present
| parents            = Jack Birch
(father)<br>[[Carol Connors (actress)|Carol Connors]] (mother)
| spouse             = {{marriage|Michael Benton Adler|2018}}
| signature          = [[File:Thora Birch - Autograph.jpg|200px]]|
}}
'''Thora Birch''' (born March 11, 1982) is an American actress. She made her feature film debut with a starring role in ''[[Purple People Eater (film)|Purple People Eater]]'' (1988), for which she won a [[Young Artist Award]] for "Best Actress Under Nine Years of Age". Birch rose to prominence as a [[child actor|child star]] during the 1990s through a string of parts in films, including ''[[Paradise (1991 film)|Paradise]]'' (1991), ''[[Patriot Games (film)|Patriot Games]]'' (1992), ''[[Hocus Pocus (1993 film)|Hocus Pocus]]'' (1993), ''[[Monkey Trouble]]'' (1994), ''[[Now and Then (film)|Now and Then]]'' (1995), and ''[[Alaska (1996 film)|Alaska]]'' (1996). Her breakthrough into adult-oriented roles came with her portrayal of Jane Burnham in ''[[American Beauty (1999 film)|American Beauty]]'' (1999), for which she was nominated for that year's [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress]].

Birch received further acclaim—and a [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe]] nomination for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Actress]]—for starring as [[Ghost World (comics)#Enid Coleslaw|Enid Coleslaw]] in the [[cult film|cult]] hit ''[[Ghost World (film)|Ghost World]]'' (2001),<ref name=GhostWorldCult>{{cite news|first=Rick|last=Burin|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/ghost-world-film-thora-birch-interview-b1815277.html|website=[[The Independent]]|title=Ghost World at 20: 'In an era of teen comedies and American Pie, this was an antidote'|date=March 17, 2021|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> and was nominated for an [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Emmy Award]] for her work in the 2003 television film ''[[Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story]]''. Her other film credits during the 2000s included ''[[Dungeons & Dragons (2000 film)|Dungeons & Dragons]]'' (2000), ''[[The Hole (2001 film)|The Hole]]'' (2001), ''[[Silver City (2004 film)|Silver City]]'' (2004), and ''[[Dark Corners]]'' (2006). Birch took a break from acting after producing and starring in the film ''[[Petunia (film)|Petunia]]'' (2012).<ref name=WhereHas>{{cite news|first=Brooke|last=Marine|url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/thora-birch-ghost-world-last-black-man-in-san-francisco/|website=[[W (magazine)|W]]|title=Where Has Thora Birch Been? Allow Thora Birch to Explain.|date=June 18, 2019|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> She returned in 2016 and has since appeared in various [[independent film|independent films]], such as ''[[The Last Black Man in San Francisco]]'' (2019). From 2019 to 2020, she played Mary (aka "Gamma") in the [[The Walking Dead (season 10)|tenth season]] of the [[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]] series ''[[The Walking Dead (TV series)|The Walking Dead]]''.

In 2022, Birch made her directorial debut with the [[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime]] television film ''[[The Gabby Petito Story]]''.<ref name=gabby>{{cite news|last=Petski|first=Denise |url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/thora-birch-co-star-direct-the-gabby-petito-story-movie-lifetime-1235016583/#comments |title=Thora Birch Set to Co-Star & Direct 'The Gabby Petito Story' Movie for Lifetime |work=Deadline |date=May 5, 2022}}</ref> She will make her directorial debut film with an adaptation of [[Elmore Leonard]]'s novel ''Mr. Paradise'', making her the first woman to direct an adaptation of Leonard's writings.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thora Birch To Direct Elmore Leonard Adaptation 'Mr. Paradise' For 'The Guilty' & 'Oslo' Producer Gary Michael Walters – Cannes Market |date=2023-05-19 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526103349/https://deadline.com/2023/05/elmore-leonard-movie-thora-birch-mr-paradise-guilty-producer-cannes-1235372882/ |archive-date=2023-05-26 |url-status=live |url=https://deadline.com/2023/05/elmore-leonard-movie-thora-birch-mr-paradise-guilty-producer-cannes-1235372882/|author-last1=Wiseman|author-first1=Andreas}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Birch was born in [[Los Angeles]], California, to Jack Birch and [[Carol Connors (actress)|Carol Connors]], ex-pornographic film actors who both appeared in 1972's ''[[Deep Throat (film)|Deep Throat]]''.<ref name="Healy Dec 2010">{{cite news |last=Healy |first=Patrick |title=Actress Thora Birch Fired From 'Dracula' |url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/actress-thora-birch-fired-from-dracula/ |access-date=2022-09-18 |department=ArtsBeat |work=The New York Times |date=2010-12-14 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=O'Neal |first=Sean |title=Thora Birch's creepy ex-porn star dad gets her fired |url=https://www.avclub.com/thora-birchs-creepy-ex-porn-star-dad-gets-her-fired-1798223158 |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=The A.V. Club |date=2010-12-14}}</ref><ref name="Sharbutt 1978">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19780213&id=CLFPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xAUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7135,3674037 |last=Sharbutt |first=Jay |title=Young Gong Show Introducer Carol Connors Rings Bell |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=Ocala Star-Banner |date=13 February 1978 |page=3B |issn=0163-3201 |access-date=18 September 2022 |via=News.google.com}}</ref>  She is of [[Germans|German]], [[Nordic countries|Scandinavian]], [[French Canadians|French-Canadian]] and [[Italians|Italian]] ancestry.<ref name="Gray Mar 2002">{{cite news |last=Gray |first=Marianne |url=http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/2002/03/17/arts/ane09.asp |title=Getting her own thing going |work=The Sunday Times |publication-place=Johannesburg |date=2002-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020526030557/http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/2002/03/17/arts/ane09.asp |archive-date=2002-05-26}}</ref> Her forename is derived from that of [[Norse mythology|Norse god]] of thunder and lightning, "[[Thor]]", which would have been her name if she had been born a boy.<ref name="Biography.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.biography.com/people/thora-birch-9542486 |author=<!--anonymous author, no byline--> |title=Thora Birch Biography |date=April 2, 2014 |publisher=A&E Television Networks |website=Biography.com |archive-date=2018-03-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323122236/https://www.biography.com/people/thora-birch-9542486}}</ref><ref name="Fearless Thora"/> She has a younger brother, Bolt Birch.<ref name="Spencer Aug 2019">{{cite web |first=Ashley |last=Spencer |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/what-happened-to-thora-birch-star-of-ghost-world/ |title=What Happened to Thora Birch? |website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |date=August 2, 2019 |access-date=2022-09-18}}</ref>

Because of their own experience with the entertainment industry, Birch's parents were reluctant to encourage her to act, but were persuaded to show Birch's photograph to talent agents by a babysitter who noticed her imitating commercials.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ktla.com/entertainment/thora-birch-makes-her-directorial-debut-by-telling-the-story-of-gabbie-petito/|title=Thora Birch makes her directorial debut by telling the story of Gabby Petito|website=KTLA|date=September 26, 2022|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> Birch got her first big break at the age of four, when the babysitter accompanied her to a successful audition for a [[Quaker Oats Company|Quaker Oats]] commercial.<ref name="Fearless Thora">{{cite web |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/film/fearless-thora-is-a-teen-in-peril-6331572.html |author=<!--anonymous author, no byline--> |title=Fearless Thora is a teen in peril |website=Evening Standard |publication-place=London |date=2001-04-10 |access-date=2022-09-18}}</ref>

== Career ==
=== 1988–1998: Television work and film breakthrough ===
Birch appeared in commercials in the late 1980s for [[Burger King]], [[The California Raisins|California Raisins]], [[Quaker Oats Company|Quaker Oats]], and [[Vlasic Pickles]].<ref name="Fearless Thora" /><ref>{{cite web |first1=Paul |last1=Fischer |url=http://www.darkhorizons.com/features/1206/thora-birch-for-dungeons-and-dragons |title=Thora Birch for "Dungeons and Dragons" |website=Dark Horizons |date=December 8, 2001 |access-date=January 12, 2017}}</ref> She made her film debut as Molly Johnson in the 1988 science fiction comedy ''[[Purple People Eater (film)|Purple People Eater]]'', for which she received a [[Young Artist Award]] in the category of "Best Young Actress Under Nine Years of Age".<ref name=IMDb>{{IMDb name|301|section=awards}}</ref> That same year, she guest-starred in an episode of ''[[Doogie Howser, M.D.]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0564437/ |title=Vinnie Video Vici |date=25 October 1989 |access-date=19 January 2017 |via=IMDb}}</ref> and was cast in the regular role of Molly on the [[NBC]] sitcom ''[[Day by Day (American TV series)|Day By Day]]''. The show ran for two seasons and earned Birch a further two Young Artist nominations.<ref name=IMDb/>

In 1990, Birch was cast in a principal role on ''[[Parenthood (1990 TV series)|Parenthood]]'', a sitcom based on the [[Parenthood (film)|1989 film of the same name]], which ran for a single season on NBC. Birch played Billie Pike in the 1991 drama ''[[Paradise (1991 film)|Paradise]]'', with [[Roger Ebert]] commenting in his review for the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' that Birch played the role with "strong, simple charm".<ref>{{cite web |last=Boone |first=Steven |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/paradise-1991 |title=Paradise Movie Review & Film Summary (1991) |publisher=Roger Ebert |date=1991-10-04 |access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref> She appeared in the festive comedy ''[[All I Want for Christmas (film)|All I Want for Christmas]]'' that same year, playing a girl who schemes to reunite her divorced parents. The film was a moderate financial success,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3296298497/weekend/|title=All I Want for Christmas (1991)|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=2023-06-15}}</ref> but found an audience on television and home video in subsequent years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hellogiggles.com/1991-movie-all-i-want-for-christmas/|title=We need to talk about the 1991 movie All I Want for Christmas|website=HelloGiggles |date=2018-12-25|access-date=2023-06-15}}</ref> She then co-starred as the daughter of [[Jack Ryan (character)|Jack Ryan]] in the spy thriller ''[[Patriot Games (film)|Patriot Games]]'' (1992), a commercial success which grossed US$178 million at the worldwide box office.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=patriotgames.htm |title=Patriot Games (1992) |website=Box Office Mojo |date=1992-08-18 |access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref>

At age 11, Birch starred in the Halloween-set fantasy film ''[[Hocus Pocus (1993 film)|Hocus Pocus]]'' (1993), playing Dani Dennison, the younger sister of a teenage boy who inadvertently resurrects a trio of witches. Making US$39 million in the U.S. (against a budget of US$28 million),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hocuspocus.htm |title=Hocus Pocus (1993) |website=Box Office Mojo |date=1993-10-22 |access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref> ''Hocus Pocus'' was not considered a financial success, but quickly developed a sizeable [[cult film|cult following]] due to strong home video sales and television re-runs.<ref>{{cite web |first=Cavan |last=Sieczkowski |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/five-reasons-why-hocus-pocus-one-greatest-cult-classic-films-325484 |title=Five Reasons Why 'Hocus Pocus' is One of the Greatest Cult Classic Films |publisher=Ibtimes.com |date=1993-07-16 |access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/the-magical-tale-of-how-hocus-pocus-went-from-144105863.html |title=The Magical Tale of How 'Hocus Pocus' Went From Box-Office Flop to Halloween Favorite |website=Yahoo!|date=2015-10-28 |access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref> "I think the most surreal thing is that it keeps getting more popular instead of the other way around", Birch later said, while admitting the experience was "the most amount of fun I've ever had on a set".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/thora-birch-looks-back-on-hocus-pocus-25-years-later/|title=Thora Birch Looks Back on 'Hocus Pocus' 25 Years Later, Why She Thinks It Still Translates Today|work=Us Weekly|date=July 16, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2023}}</ref>

In the 1994 comedy ''[[Monkey Trouble]]'', Birch played a girl accompanying a [[Capuchin monkey]]. In a positive review for the ''[[Austin Chronicle]]'', Marjorie Baumgarten observed that Birch's "nuanced performance (a rarity amongst child performers) no doubt lends ''Monkey Trouble'' its realistic touch".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/calendar/film/1994-03-25/monkey-trouble/ |title=Monkey Trouble - Film Calendar |newspaper=The Austin Chronicle |access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref> That same year, she reprised her ''Patriot Games'' role in its sequel, ''[[Clear and Present Danger (film)|Clear and Present Danger]]'', which grossed over US$215 million globally.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=clearandpresentdanger.htm |title=Clear and Present Danger (1994) |website=Box Office Mojo |date=1994-10-25 |access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref> She was then cast as "Teeny" Tercell in the 1995 coming-of-age drama ''[[Now and Then (film)|Now and Then]]''. The film was largely dismissed by critics upon release,<ref>{{cite news|title=Now and Then|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/now_and_then|access-date=June 15, 2023|website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> but has since been recognised as a milestone of its genre.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/23/movies/now-and-then-anniversary.html|title='Now and Then' at 25: Girlhood Finally Taken Seriously|work=The New York Times|first=Ilana|last=Kaplan|date=October 23, 2020|access-date=June 16, 2023}}</ref> Next, Birch headlined the adventure film ''[[Alaska (1996 film)|Alaska]]'' (1996), playing one of two siblings who cross the Alaskan wilderness in search of their lost father. The ''Austin Chronicle'' found it to be a "decent kids' adventure movie" with an "impeccable" performance by Birch.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/1996-08-16/alaska/|title=Alaska|publisher=The Austin Chronicle|first=Marjorie|last=Baumgarten|date=August 16, 1996|access-date=June 18, 2023}}</ref> For the next two years, she did not appear on film but guest-starred in episodes of ''[[Promised Land (1996 TV series)|Promised Land]]'' and ''[[Touched by an Angel]]''.

===1999–2003: Transition to adult roles ===
Birch appeared in several projects in 1999: firstly, the made-for-television film ''[[Night Ride Home (film)|Night Ride Home]]'', where she played a teenager grieving the loss of her older brother. Writing for ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', David Kronke called it "a thoughtful and sensitive examination of how a family copes with grief", and said of the performances, "[[Rebecca De Mornay|De Mornay]] … digs deep and comes up with a character that seems true; [[Ellen Burstyn|Burstyn]] and Birch competently complement [her]".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/1999/tv/reviews/night-ride-home-1200456691/|first=David|last=Kronke|title=Night Ride Home|website=Variety|date=February 3, 1999|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> Next, she played the small, uncredited role of Mary in ''[[Anywhere but Here (film)|Anywhere but Here]]''.

Birch's portrayal of insecure teenager Jane Burnham in ''[[American Beauty (1999 film)|American Beauty]]'', [[Sam Mendes]]' dark [[comedy drama|dramedy]] about the struggles of a middle class household, was roundly praised by critics,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9909/17/review.americanbeauty/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010531101331/http://edition.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9909/17/review.americanbeauty/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 31, 2001|first=Paul|last=Clinton|title=Review: 'American Beauty' is just that|website=CNN|date=September 17, 1999|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/american-beauty-1999|first=Roger|last=Ebert|title=American Beauty|website=Variety|date=September 24, 1999|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> with [[Peter Travers]] of ''[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]'' writing that she {{nobreak|"[glimmered]}} with grown-up radiance".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Travers |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Travers |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/american-beauty-19990915 |title=American Beauty |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=October 1, 1999 |access-date=January 12, 2017 |archive-date=December 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203023352/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/american-beauty-19990915 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The performance earned her a [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA]] nomination for [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Supporting Actress]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/keyword-search?keywords=American%20Beauty |title=BAFTA Awards Search &#124; BAFTA Awards |publisher=Awards.bafta.org |access-date=January 12, 2017}}</ref> while the film was the recipient of the 1999 [[Academy Award for Best Picture]] and grossed over US$356 million worldwide,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2000 |title=2000 &#124; Oscars.org &#124; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |publisher=Oscars.org |date=March 26, 2000 |access-date=January 12, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=americanbeauty.htm |title=American Beauty (1999) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=January 12, 2017}}</ref> emerging as the biggest commercial success of Birch's career to date.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/person/14640401-Thora-Birch#tab=acting |title=Thora Birch - Box Office |publisher=The Numbers |access-date=January 12, 2017}}</ref> She later said of the experience, "There was a lot of therapy involved … A lot of opening up and sharing things from our own lives about why we related to these characters. Everybody brought a lot of themselves to it. I know [[Annette Bening|Annette]] did a lot of research about women becoming obsessed with the self-help realm. [[Kevin Spacey|Kevin]] was working out obsessively and already in the headspace of [his character] Lester, even in rehearsals. And then there was [[Wes Bentley|Wes]], [[Mena Suvari|Mena]] and I, who were these kids just incredibly excited to be there and watching [these] masters at their craft — just trying to absorb as much as we could from them".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/thora-birch-asks-american-beauty-fans-see-past-kevin-spacey-1180386/|title=Thora Birch Asks 'American Beauty' Fans to See Past "Stain" of Kevin Spacey|first=Seth|last=Abramovitch|date=January 29, 2019|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=June 16, 2023}}</ref>

Following the success of ''American Beauty'', Birch appeared in two films released in 2000: low-budget drama ''[[The Smokers (film)|The Smokers]]'', in which Birch was called "a scene-stealer" by ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'',<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.imdb.com/news/ni0185908/ |newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter |title=Film review: 'Smokers' |date=20 March 2000}}</ref> and ''[[Dungeons & Dragons (2000 film)|Dungeons & Dragons]]'', a poorly-received adaptation of the fantasy [[Dungeons & Dragons|role-playing game of the same name]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dungeons_and_dragons|title=Dungeons & Dragons|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> British horror film ''[[The Hole (2001 film)|The Hole]]'' came next, where she starred as Elizabeth Dunn, a devious schoolgirl who lures her friends into an underground bunker. In a mixed review for ''Variety'', [[Derek Elley]] stated that Birch gave "an effectively creepy lead [performance]", but called the film "clunky" in its "attempt to merge the psychothriller and teen movie genres".<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Derek |last=Elley |url=https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/the-hole-3-1200467768/ |title=The Hole |magazine=Variety |date=2001-04-19 |access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref>

Birch's next project was the satirical 2001 comedy ''[[Ghost World (film)|Ghost World]]'', directed by [[Terry Zwigoff]]. Based on the [[Ghost World (comics)|graphic novel of the same name]], the film was released to an enthusiastic critical reception and developed a loyal cult following.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ghost_world|title=Ghost World|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://uproxx.com/movies/thora-birch-uproxx-interview-ghost-world/|title= Thora Birch On The Cult Legacy Of 'Ghost World'|website=Uproxx|first=Brandon|last=Stroud|date=September 11, 2017|accessdate=June 16, 2023}}</ref><ref name=GhostWorldCult/> [[James Berardinelli]] found Birch's part to be her "first effectively developed role" since ''American Beauty'', commending the actress for the "quirkiness [and the] underlying sense of melancholy and ennui" in her portrayal of [[Ghost World (comics)#Enid Coleslaw|Enid Coleslaw]].<ref>{{cite web |first=James |last=Berardinelli |url=http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/g/ghost_world.html |title=Ghost World &#124; Reelviews Movie Reviews |publisher=Reelviews.net |date=2001-08-03 |access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref> Meanwhile, A. O. Scott said in his appraisal for ''[[The New York Times]]'':

{{quote|Thora Birch, whose performance as Lester Burnham's alienated daughter was the best thing about ''American Beauty,'' plays a similar character here, with even more intelligence and restraint. Enid's capacity for scorn is unlimited: her plucked eyebrows might illustrate a dictionary entry for "supercilious," and her quiet voice shoots darts of sarcasm in every direction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/20/movies/film-review-teenagers-sad-world-in-a-comic-dimension.html|title=FILM REVIEW; Teenagers' Sad World In a Comic Dimension|website=The New York Times|first=A.O.|last=Scott|date=July 20, 2001|accessdate=June 15, 2023}}</ref>}}

Birch received various accolades for ''Ghost World'',<ref name=IMDb/> including a nomination for the 2002 [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical|Golden Globe Award for Best Actress]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2002/02/10/the-contenders-14/ |title=The contenders |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=2002-02-10 |access-date=2013-07-03}}</ref>

In 2003, she appeared as the [[Liz Murray|title character]] in the biographical television film ''[[Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story]]'', starring as a young woman who, after becoming homeless at 15 amid personal tragedies, decides to finish her schooling. Birch's performance earned her a nomination for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress]] that year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/thora-birch |title=Thora Birch Emmy Nominated |publisher=Emmys.com |access-date=2014-03-25}}</ref>

===2004–2012: Independent films  ===
Birch played a supporting role in ''[[Silver City (2004 film)|Silver City]]'', a political satire directed by [[John Sayles]], which premiered at the [[2004 Cannes Film Festival]]. The [[independent film|independent]] feature received mixed reviews, but ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]''{{'s}} Angie Errigo thought Birch's portrayal of whistleblower Karen Cross was "terrific".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/silver-city-review/|title=Silver City Review|first=Angie|last=Errigo|date=January 1, 2000|work=Empire|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> She co-starred in the crime drama ''[[Slingshot (2005 film)|Slingshot]]'' (2005).

In ''[[Dark Corners]]'' (2006), a psychological horror-thriller about a young woman who wakes up one day as a different person, Birch starred in the dual role of Susan Hamilton and Karen Clarke. The film received a mixed reception, with Adam DiLeo of ''[[IGN]]'' praising its surreal, [[David Lynch]]-style elements, but criticizing Birch's performance.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/06/18/dark-corners-dvd-review|title=Dark Corners DVD Review|first=Adam|last=DiLeo|date=May 14, 2012|work=IGN|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> She followed this with roles in two more genre films: ''[[Train (2008 film)|Train]]''—a loose remake of the 1980 slasher film ''[[Terror Train]]'', released in 2008—and the psychological thriller ''[[Deadline (2009 film)|Deadline]]'', in which she co-starred with [[Brittany Murphy]], who died shortly after the film's release in December 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/25/movies/25arts-MOVIEPOSTERI_BRF.html|title=Movie Poster Is Pulled After Actress's Death|first=Dave|last=Itzkoff|date=December 24, 2009|work=The New York Times|access-date=June 17, 2023}}</ref> Birch later revealed she had been concerned about Murphy's wellbeing during filming.<ref name="Freeman Jan 2014"/>

In the true crime drama ''[[Winter of Frozen Dreams]]'' (2009), Birch played Barbara Hoffman, a Wisconsin prostitute convicted of murder in the first-ever televised murder trial.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://madison.com/news/barbara-hoffmans-sensational-murder-trial-subject-of-film-fest-premiere-with-photos/article_22f9e7b7-2718-5ba6-b59a-377121fd3767.html|title=Barbara Hoffman's Sensational Murder Trial Subject of Film Fest Premiere|first=Mike|last=Miller|date=April 6, 2009|work=Wisconsin State Journal|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> In a review for ''[[Bloody Disgusting]]'', John Marrone described Birch's "alluring" performance as the highlight of the film.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3301790/review-winter-frozen-dreams-forecast-fair-dry-crusty/|title=[Review] 'Winter of Frozen Dreams' Forecast is Fair, If Not Dry and Crusty|first=John|last=Marrone|date=July 8, 2014|work=Bloody Disgusting|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> Next, she took on the role of journalist Sidney Bloom in ''[[The Pregnancy Pact]]'', a [[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime]] movie based on the true story of a group of high schoolers in [[Gloucester, Massachusetts]], who plotted to get pregnant at the same time and raise their children communally.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2010/01/23/2010-01-23_lifetimes_pregnancy_pact_treats_surge_in_teen_pregnancy_with_kid_gloves.html |title=Lifetime's 'Pregnancy Pact' treats surge in teen pregnancy with kid gloves |first=David |last=Hinckley |date=January 23, 2010 |work=New York Daily News |access-date=August 13, 2010 |archive-date=January 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126080732/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2010/01/23/2010-01-23_lifetimes_pregnancy_pact_treats_surge_in_teen_pregnancy_with_kid_gloves.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The film was watched by 5.9 million viewers when it premiered in January 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/ratings/2010/01/25/lifetimes-the-pregnancy-pact-becomes-ad-supported-cables-number-one-rated-movie-among-women-18-34-in-over-10-years-34340/20100125lifetime01/|title=Lifetime's the Pregnancy Pact Becomes Ad-Supported Cable's Number One Rated Movie Among Women 18-34 in Over 10 Years|publisher=The Futon Critic|date=January 25, 2010|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> Later that year, Birch was cast—in what would have been her stage debut—as [[Lucy Westenra|Lucy]] in the [[off-Broadway]] revival of [[Hamilton Deane]]'s ''[[Dracula (1924 play)|Dracula]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://playbill.com/article/george-hearn-thora-birch-and-michel-altieri-to-star-in-dracula-off-broadway-com-173663|title=George Hearn, Thora Birch and Michel Altieri to Star in Dracula Off-Broadway|publisher=Playbill|date=November 16, 2010|access-date=June 18, 2023}}</ref> but was subsequently dismissed from the production for the alleged behavior of her father—her manager at the time—who was reported to have physically threatened one of the show's cast members during a rehearsal.<ref name="Healy Dec 2010"/>

Birch played the role of Vivian in ''[[Petunia (film)|Petunia]]'' (2012), an independent dramedy depicting the lives and romantic relationships of a dysfunctional New York family. Birch, who is credited as one of its producers,<ref name="Freeman Jan 2014">{{cite news |title=Thora Birch: how Hollywood's darling disappeared |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jan/23/thora-birch-hollywood-darling-disappeared|access-date=June 15, 2023|newspaper=The Guardian|date=January 13, 2014|first=Hadley|last=Freeman}}</ref> described the "intimate [and] honest" feature as "a little bit different".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.starcam.com/post/thora-birch-petunia-premiere.aspx |title=Thora Birch Explains How "Petunia" is Different from Standard Summer Fare |publisher=Blog.starcam.com |date=2012-07-26 |access-date=2013-07-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102191802/https://blog.starcam.com/post/thora-birch-petunia-premiere.aspx |archive-date=2012-11-02}}</ref> Given a small theatrical release in the U.S.,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theindependentcritic.com/petunia |title="Petunia" is One of 2013's Most Rewarding Films |publisher=The Independent Critic |access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref> the film garnered mixed reviews,<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Dennis |last=Harvey |url=https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/petunia-1117947805/ |title=Petunia |magazine=Variety |date=2012-06-24 |access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref> though Birch and the rest of the ensemble were praised.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/petunia-film-review-576487/|title=Petunia: Film Review |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=2013-06-27 |access-date=2017-01-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/28/movies/petunia-stars-christine-lahti-and-thora-birch.html|title=Wilted Spirits in an Abstemious Family|work=The New York Times|date=June 27, 2013|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref>

===2013–present: Break from acting and subsequent return===
[[File:Fonda - Birch at 2015 HFA.jpg|thumb|upright=.65|right|Birch with [[Jane Fonda]] at the 2015 [[Hollywood Film Awards]]]]
After devoting herself to academic pursuits, which included securing a degree in legal studies through [[Kaplan University]],<ref name=RouteMag>{{cite news|title=A Conversation with Thora Birch|url=https://www.routemagazine.us/stories/a-conversation-with-thora-birch|access-date=June 20, 2023|website=Route Magazine|first=Brennen|last=Matthews}}</ref> Birch returned to acting in 2015 with a recurring role as software engineer Morgan on the first season of [[USA Network]]'s ''[[Colony (TV series)|Colony]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thora Birch to Recur on USA's 'Colony'|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/thora-birch-colony-carlton-cuse-josh-holloway-1201596905/|access-date=June 15, 2023|website=Variety|date=September 18, 2015|first=Whitney|last=Friedlander}}</ref> It was later revealed that Birch would not return for the second season  because of a scheduling conflict, and that the part had been recast.<ref>{{cite news|title=Colony Recast: Bethany Joy Lenz In, Thora Birch Out in Season 2|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/colony-recast-bethany-joy-lenz-013152455.html|access-date=June 16, 2023|website=Yahoo!|date=September 1, 2016|first=Michael|last=Ausiello}}</ref>

Birch starred as a left-wing activist in the 2018 political thriller ''[[Affairs of State (film)|Affairs of State]]'', which Noel Murray of ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]'' called "refreshingly smart".<ref>{{cite news|title=Review: Sex-tinged melodrama 'Affairs of State' mirrors real politics|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mini-affairs-of-state-review-20180613-story.html|access-date=June 15, 2023|website=Los Angeles Times|date=June 13, 2018|first=Noel|last=Murray}}</ref> In a less favorable review for ''[[Forbes]]'', Luke Y. Thompson wrote, "[cinematographer] Horacio Marquinez gamely films everything like it's an art movie, though there's one scene in which he shoots Birch so unflatteringly that you wonder what she must have done to make him mad".<ref>{{cite news|title=Blu-ray Review: 'Affairs Of State' Is Cheesy Fun That Should Have Been Sleazier|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lukethompson/2018/08/14/blu-ray-review-affairs-of-state-is-cheesy-fun-that-should-have-been-sleazier|access-date=June 15, 2023|website=Forbes|date=August 14, 2018|first=Luke Y.|last=Thompson}}</ref> She headlined and co-produced ''[[The Competition (2018 film)|The Competition]]'' that same year, an independent romantic comedy.<ref>{{cite web |last=Busch |first=Anita |url=https://deadline.com/2016/09/thora-birch-romantic-comedy-movie-the-competition-harvey-lowry-director-1201818794/ |title=Thora Birch To Star In And Produce Romantic Comedy 'The Competition' |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=2016-09-13 |access-date=2016-09-27}}</ref>

Next, Birch starred in the 2018 drama ''[[La sonrisa etrusca#Film adaptation|The Etruscan Smile]]''—an adaptation of [[José Luis Sampedro]]'s [[La sonrisa etrusca|novel]]—which was filmed in Scotland and received strong reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://observer.com/2019/11/the-etruscan-smile-brian-cox-rosanna-arquette-rex-reed/|title=In 'The Etruscan Smile,' Brian Cox Raises Familiar Material Above and Beyond Mediocrity|publisher=Observer|first=Rex|last=Reed|quote=Another terrific performance by Treat Williams.|date=1 November 2019|accessdate=14 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_etruscan_smile|title=The Etruscan Smile|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> The following year, she played a supporting role in the crime thriller ''[[Above Suspicion (2019 film)|Above Suspicion]]'', which—after ''Patriot Games'' and ''Clear and Present Danger'' in the 1990s—marked her third collaboration with director [[Phillip Noyce]]. In a positive review for ''[[The Guardian]]'', [[Peter Bradshaw]] commented, "There's an interesting cameo from Thora Birch [as the] long-suffering Jolene".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theguardian.com/film/2020/jul/08/above-suspicion-review-jack-huston-emilia-clarke|title=Above Suspicion review – stranger than fiction weirdness of FBI murder|last=Bradshaw|first=Peter|date=July 8, 2020|website=The Guardian|access-date=June 16, 2023}}</ref>

Birch's cameo appearance in ''[[The Last Black Man in San Francisco]]'' (2019), a drama about a young man's pursuit to reclaim the Victorian home built by his grandfather, was considered a crucial part of the film's success.<ref name=WhereHas/> Speaking of her casting and the symbolic nature of the part, director [[Joe Talbot (filmmaker)|Joe Talbot]] said:

{{quote|Thora is one of the great actresses of her generation and her work, in part, inspired me to want to make films. Her performance in ''Ghost World'' made me feel seen as a teenager when I was a bit lost. At the end of that film, [she] rides a bus off into the sunset. In our film, we meet her character on a bus in the heart of San Francisco—almost as if she kept riding it all these years, and somehow wound up in the [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]] working a tech job she loathed. Her exchange that follows with [main character] Jimmie, however brief, has been written about and quoted more than any other part of the film.<ref name=WhereHas/>}}

The film premiered at the [[2019 Sundance Film Festival|Sundance Film Festival]] in January 2019, where it won awards for Best Directing and a Special Jury Prize for Creative Collaboration.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/03/the-last-black-man-in-san-francisco-trailer-a24-1202052546/|title='The Last Black Man in San Francisco' Trailer: A24's Sundance Winner Is a Must-See Summer Indie|last=Sharf|first=Zack|date=2019-03-21|website=IndieWire|language=en|access-date=2019-04-05}}</ref> It was released theatrically in the U.S. by [[A24]].

[[File:Thora Birch - Above Suspicion - Production Set from Set (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|275x275px|right|Birch as Jolene on the set of ''[[Above Suspicion (2019 film)|Above Suspicion]]'' (2019)]]

Between 2019 and 2020, Birch appeared in the role of Mary (aka "Gamma") on the [[The Walking Dead (season 10)|tenth season]] of [[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]]'s post-apocalyptic horror series ''[[The Walking Dead (TV series)|The Walking Dead]]'',<ref name=walking>{{cite web |first=Dino-Ray |last=Ramos |url=https://deadline.com/2019/07/the-walking-dead-thora-birch-kevin-carroll-season-10-comic-con-1202649423/ |title='The Walking Dead' Adds Thora Birch And Kevin Carroll For Season 10 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=December 19, 2019 |access-date=July 22, 2019}}</ref> with ''[[Collider (website)|Collider]]'' commenting that she brought "emotional depth" to the part.<ref>{{cite news|title='The Walking Dead' Season 10 Review: AMC's Long-Stumbling Monster Still Has Life|url=https://collider.com/walking-dead-season-10-review/|access-date=June 15, 2023|website=Collider|date=October 4, 2019|first=Vinnie|last=Mancuso}}</ref> Birch called the experience "a fun, massive thing to have been a part of".<ref name=RouteMag/> Next, in the independent drama ''[[13 Minutes (2021 film)|13 Minutes]]'' (2021), she played a single mother struggling to keep her family together in the wake of a destructive tornado. [[Rex Reed]] of ''[[The New York Observer]]'' felt that the film succeeded on the strength of its "compelling" and "likable" ensemble, singling out Birch as a highlight.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://observer.com/2021/10/tornado-thriller-13-minutes-doesnt-waste-your-time/|title=Tornado Thriller '13 Minutes' Doesn't Waste Your Time|first1=Rex|last1=Reed|website=[[The New York Observer]] |date=October 25, 2021|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref>

Birch made her directorial debut in 2022 with ''[[Killing of Gabby Petito#Television adaptation|The Gabby Petito Story]]'', a Lifetime television movie in which she also co-starred.<ref name=gabby/> The film is based on the [[killing of Gabby Petito|2021 disappearance]] of Petito, a 22-year-old who was murdered by her boyfriend during a cross-country drive. Birch said she had been wanting to direct since she was "nine or ten years old" and that it was the subject matter which drew her to the project: "There's an element of abusive relationships in this story that I think so many of us can relate to … [it] captured the entire nation's attention in the middle of [[COVID-19 pandemic|Covid]] … Everyone stopped and took a minute and [said] "Where’s Gabby? What happened to Gabby?" That kind of fascination and focus point was something that I thought was a third character in [the] story".<ref>{{cite news|title=A Delicate Balance: Thora Birch on Directing Her First Feature, The Gabby Petito Story|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/a-delicate-balance-thora-birch-on-directing-her-first-feature-the-gabby-petito-story|access-date=June 15, 2023|website=RogerEbert.com|date=May 9, 2022|first=Matt|last=Fagerholm}}</ref> The ethical nature of dramatizing such recent events was met with public criticism,<ref name=PetitoBacklash>{{cite news|title=Lifetime is facing a storm of criticism over making a Gabby Petito movie just a year after the investigation began|url=https://www.insider.com/lifetime-is-already-getting-flack-for-its-gabby-petito-story-project-slated-to-air-a-little-over-a-year-after-the-investigation-began-2022-9|access-date=June 20, 2023|website=Insider|date=September 30, 2022|first=Mara|last=Leighton}}</ref> especially as the film—which premiered on October 12, 2022, just over one year after Petito's death—was made without the involvement of the Petito family.<ref name=PetitoBacklash/>

Also in 2022, Birch played Audrey Beach in the ten-part fictional podcast ''Overleaper'',<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/overleaper/id1621111046 |title='Overleaper'|date=May 5, 2022 }}</ref> an espionage-style thriller about a female soldier embarking on a top-secret mission. Birch said it was the idea of "a return to the old radio dramas … from the [1920s and '30s]", as well as the luxury of acting with her voice and not having to endure "the harsh physical positions that the character is in", which drew her to the project.<ref>{{cite web|title=Thora Birch on 'Overleaper,' Balancing the Two Roles, and 'The Walking Dead'|date=June 30, 2022|website=Collider|url=https://deadline.com/2023/05/elmore-leonard-movie-thora-birch-mr-paradise-guilty-producer-cannes-1235372882/}}</ref>

It was announced at the [[2023 Cannes Film Festival]] that Birch's next project as director—her feature debut—will be an adaptation of [[Elmore Leonard]]'s novel ''Mr. Paradise'', making her the first woman to direct a Leonard adaptation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thora Birch To Direct Elmore Leonard Adaptation 'Mr. Paradise' For 'The Guilty' & 'Oslo' Producer Gary Michael Walters – Cannes Market |date=2023-05-19 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526103349/https://deadline.com/2023/05/elmore-leonard-movie-thora-birch-mr-paradise-guilty-producer-cannes-1235372882/ |archive-date=2023-05-26 |url-status=live |url=https://deadline.com/2023/05/elmore-leonard-movie-thora-birch-mr-paradise-guilty-producer-cannes-1235372882/}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
[[File:Thora_Birch_&_Wiley_Nickel_in_Congress_(cropped).jpg|thumb|Birch with Congressman Wiley Nickel in 2023]]
Birch married talent manager and [[philanthropy|philanthropist]] Michael Benton Adler on December 21, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/thora-birch-married-wedding |title=Thora Birch Just Got Married |website=W Magazine|date=December 22, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.yourtango.com/2020337591/thora-birch-husband-michael-benton-adler |title=Enchanting Details About 'Hocus Pocus' Star Thora Birch's Husband, Michael Benton Adler |date=October 5, 2020 |website=YourTango}}</ref> Birch is a long-time [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] who was a delegate at the [[2012 Democratic National Convention]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.berkshireeagle.com/arts_and_culture/entertainment/actress-thora-birch-an-american-beauty-resurfaces/article_d2414ce8-3b32-5dd9-9f19-835ccea1d75e.html |title=Actress Thora Birch: An 'American Beauty' resurfaces |first=Nathan Mayberg, Berkshire Eagle |last=Staff |website=The Berkshire Eagle|date=April 18, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/2012-democratic-convention-charlotte-obama-ashley-judd-364785 |title=2012 Democratic Convention: Where Stars Like Ashley Judd and Thora Birch Will Eat, Stay and Play &#124; Hollywood Reporter |website=www.hollywoodreporter.com |date=23 August 2012}}</ref> She has supported [[Joe Biden]] and local political efforts, such as [[United States House of Representatives|Congressman]] [[Wiley Nickel]]'s campaign.<ref>{{cite tweet |number=1025510648304754688 |user=wileynickel |title=Thanks so much to Thora Birch... |date=3 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |number=1325185503906258945 |user=1107miss |title="We grabbed him by the ballot"... |date=7 November 2020}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
{{pending films key}}
=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Year 
! scope="col" | Title 
! scope="col" | Role 
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Purple People Eater (film)|Purple People Eater]]''
| Molly Johnson
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1991
| ''[[Paradise (1991 film)|Paradise]]''
| Billie Pike
|
|-
| ''[[All I Want for Christmas (film)|All I Want for Christmas]]''
| Hallie O'Fallon
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1992
| ''[[Patriot Games (film)|Patriot Games]]''
| Sally Ryan
|
|-
| ''[[Itsy Bitsy Spider (film)|Itsy Bitsy Spider]]''
| Leslie McGroarty
| Voice role; [[Short film]]
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Hocus Pocus (1993 film)|Hocus Pocus]]''
| Dani Dennison
| 
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1994
| ''[[Monkey Trouble]]''
| Eva Gregory
|
|-
| ''[[Clear and Present Danger (film)|Clear and Present Danger]]''
| Sally Ryan
|
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Now and Then (film)|Now and Then]]''
| Tina "Teeny" Tercell
|
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Alaska (1996 film)|Alaska]]''
| Jessie Barnes
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1999
| ''[[American Beauty (1999 film)|American Beauty]]''
| Jane Burnham
|
|-
| ''[[Anywhere but Here (film)|Anywhere but Here]]''
| Mary
| Uncredited
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2000
| ''[[The Smokers (film)|The Smokers]]''
| Lincoln Roth
|
|-
| ''[[Dungeons & Dragons (2000 film)|Dungeons & Dragons]]''
| Empress Savina
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2001
| ''[[The Hole (2001 film)|The Hole]]''
| Elizabeth "Liz" Dunn
|
|-
| ''[[Ghost World (film)|Ghost World]]''
| [[Ghost World (comics)#Enid Coleslaw|Enid Coleslaw]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2004
| ''[[Silver City (2004 film)|Silver City]]''
| Karen Cross
|
|-
| ''The Dot''
| Narrator
| Voice role; Short film
|-
| 2005
| ''[[Slingshot (2005 film)|Slingshot]]''
| April
|
|-
| 2006
| ''[[Dark Corners]]''
| Susan Hamilton / Karen Clarke
|
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Train (2008 film)|Train]]''
| Alexandra "Alex" Roper
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2009
| ''[[Winter of Frozen Dreams]]''
| Barbara Hoffman
|
|-
| ''[[Deadline (2009 film)|Deadline]]''
| Lucy Woods
|
|-
| 2012
| ''[[Petunia (film)|Petunia]]''
| Vivian Petunia
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2018
| ''[[La sonrisa etrusca#Film adaptation|The Etruscan Smile]]''
| Emily
|
|-
| ''[[The Competition (2018 film)|The Competition]]''
| Lauren
|
|-
| ''[[Affairs of State (film)|Affairs of State]]''
| Callie
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2019
| ''[[The Last Black Man in San Francisco]]'' 
| Becca
|
|-
| ''[[Kindred Spirits (2019 film)|Kindred Spirits]]''
| Chloe
|
|-
| ''[[Above Suspicion (2019 film)|Above Suspicion]]''
| Jolene
|
|-
| 2021
| ''[[13 Minutes (2021 film)|13 Minutes]]''
| Jess
|
|-
| 2024
| ''The Midway Point''
| Cristina
| <ref>{{Cite web |last1=Grobar |first1=Matt |date=2022-09-02 |title='The Midway Point', 'Swipe NYC', 'Imani', 'Freedom Hair' Castings; Burbank Film Fest Host & Presenters; Acquisitions By Gravitas, Freestyle, Buffalo 8, Film Arcade, Safier, Terror Films, Giant Pictures; More – Film Briefs |url=https://deadline.com/2022/09/the-midway-point-swipe-nyc-castings-burbank-film-festival-host-presenters-1235103756/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| 2025
| ''[[The Chronology of Water]]''
| {{TBA}}
| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/09/kristen-stewart-first-image-first-feature-the-chronology-of-water-1236082336/|title=Kristen Stewart First Image Released From Shoot of Directorial Feature Debut 'The Chronology of Water'|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Melanie|last=Goodfellow|date=September 9, 2024|access-date=September 9, 2024}}</ref>
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Year 
! scope="col" | Title 
! scope="col" | Role 
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1988–1989
| ''[[Day by Day (American TV series)|Day by Day]]''
| Molly
| Recurring role (21 episodes)
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Doogie Howser, M.D.]]''
| Megan
| Episode: "Vinnie Video Vici"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1990
| ''Dark Avenger''
| Susie Donovan
| [[Television film]]
|-
| ''[[Married People]]''
| Emily
| Episode: "To Live and Drive in New York"
|-
| 1990–1991
| ''[[Parenthood (1990 TV series)|Parenthood]]''
| Taylor Buckman
| Main role (12 episodes)
|-
| 1991
| ''[[Amen (TV series)|Amen]]''
| Brittany
| Episode: "Nothing Says Lovin'..."
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Monty (TV series)|Monty]]''
| Ann Sherman
| Episode: "Here Comes the Son"
|-
| 1995
| ''[[The Outer Limits (1995 TV series)|The Outer Limits]]''
| Aggie Travers
| Episode: "[[The Choice (The Outer Limits)|The Choice]]"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1997
| ''[[Promised Land (1996 TV series)|Promised Land]]''
| Allison Rhodes
| Episode: "Running Scared"
|-
| ''[[Touched by an Angel]]''
| Erin
| Episode: "The Pact"
|-
| 1999
| ''[[Night Ride Home (film)|Night Ride Home]]''
| Clea Mahler
| Television film
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Night Visions (TV series)|Night Visions]]''
| Susan Thornhill
| Episode: "The Maze"
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story]]''
| [[Liz Murray|Elizabeth "Liz" Murray]]
| Television film
|-
| 2005
| ''[[My Life as a Teenage Robot]]''
| Vega
| Voice role; Episode: "Escape from Cluster Prime"
|-
| 2010
| ''[[The Pregnancy Pact]]''
| Sidney Bloom
| Television film
|-
| 2016
| ''[[Colony (TV series)|Colony]]''
| Morgan
| Recurring role (2 episodes)
|-
| 2019–2020
| ''[[The Walking Dead (TV series)|The Walking Dead]]''
| Gamma / Mary
| Recurring role (9 episodes)
|-
| 2022
| ''[[Killing of Gabby Petito#Television adaptation|The Gabby Petito Story]]''
| Nichole Schmidt
| Television film (also director)
|-
| 2025
| ''[[Mayfair Witches]]''
| Gifford Mayfair
| Television series
|}

=== Podcasts ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Year 
! scope="col" | Title 
! scope="col" | Role 
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 2022
| ''Overleaper''
| Audrey Beach
| Main role / narrator
|}

=== Music videos ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Song
! scope="col" | Artist
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
| 2002
| "[[We Are All Made of Stars#Music video|We Are All Made of Stars]]"
| [[Moby]]
| Directed by [[Joseph Kahn (director)|Joseph Kahn]]
|-
| 2003
| "[[Eat You Alive]]"
| [[Limp Bizkit]]
| Directed by [[Fred Durst]]
|}

== Awards and nominations ==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Selected accolades for Thora Birch
|-
! scope="col" | Year {{efn|Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.}}
! scope="col" | Award
! scope="col" | Category
! scope="col" | Work
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Result
|-
| 1989
| rowspan="3" | [[Young Artist Award]]
| Best Actress Under Nine 
| ''Purple People Eater''
| rowspan="4" {{won}}
|-
| 1992
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture
| ''Paradise''
|-
| 1994
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy
| ''Hocus Pocus''
|-
| 1999
| [[San Diego Film Critics Society|San Diego Film Critics Society Award]]
| [[San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| rowspan="8" | ''American Beauty''
|-
| rowspan="7" | 2000
| [[Blockbuster Entertainment Awards|Blockbuster Entertainment Award]]
| Favorite Supporting Actress – Drama
| rowspan="3" {{nom}}
|-
| [[British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Award]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Supporting Actress]]
|-
| [[Online Film Critics Society|Online Film Critics Society Award]]
| [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
|-
| [[Screen Actors Guild Awards|Screen Actors Guild Award]]
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture]] {{small|(shared with the cast)}}
| rowspan="8" {{won}}
|-
| Young Artist Award
| Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film
|-
| [[Young Hollywood Awards|Young Hollywood Award]]
| Best On-Screen Chemistry {{small|(shared with [[Wes Bentley]])}}
|-
| [[YoungStar Award]]
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2001
| [[Deauville American Film Festival|Deauville Film Festival Award]]
| Acting Prize
| rowspan="12" | ''Ghost World''
|-
| San Diego Film Critics Society Award
| rowspan="2" | [[San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|-
| [[Seattle International Film Festival|Golden Space Needle Award]]
|-
| [[Toronto Film Critics Association|Toronto Film Critics Association Award]]
| [[Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress|Best Female Performance]]
|-
| rowspan="8" | 2002
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association|Chicago Film Critics Association Award]]
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| rowspan="6" {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Award]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical|Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy or Musical]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[MTV Movie & TV Awards|MTV Movie Award]]
| Best Line
|-
| [[MTV Movie Award for Best Dressed|Best Dressed]]
|-
| Online Film Critics Society Award
| [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|-
| [[Satellite Awards|Satellite Award]]
| [[Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture|Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy or Musical]]
|-
| [[Saturn Awards|Genre Face of the Future Award]]
| Female
| {{nom}}{{small| (also for ''Dungeons & Dragons'')}}
|-
| [[Vancouver Film Critics Circle|Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award]]
| [[Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| rowspan="3" {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2003
| [[DVD Exclusive Awards|DVD Premiere Award]]
| Best Supporting Actress
| ''The Smokers''
|-
| [[Primetime Emmy Awards|Primetime Emmy Award]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie]]
| rowspan="2" | ''Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story''
|-
| 2004
| [[Entertainment Industries Council#Prism Awards|Prism Awards]]
| Performance in a TV Movie or Miniseries
| rowspan="2" {{won}}
|-
| 2018
| [[Boston Film Festival|Boston Film Festival Prize]]
| Best Ensemble Cast {{small|(shared with the cast)}}
| ''The Etruscan Smile''
|}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Thora Birch}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{Emmys person|thora-birch}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes person|thora_birch|Thora Birch}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Thora Birch
|list =
{{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress}}
{{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{ScreenActorsGuildAward CastMotionPicture 1995–2000}}
{{TFCA Award for Best Actress}}
{{Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birch, Thora}}
[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:American child actresses]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American people of French-Canadian descent]]
[[Category:American people of German-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:American people of Scandinavian descent]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners]]