Thora Birch (born March 11, 1982 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress who mainly acts in independent films. She is of Jewish, Scandinavian, and Italian descent; the family's original surname was "Biersch", coming from her German Jewish ancestors. Thora is the first born child of Jack Birch and Carol Connors, who also act as her managers. From an early age, Thora was encouraged by her parents to audition for commercials. She landed several parts representing companies such as Quaker Oats and Vlasic Pickles. However, it wasn't until 1988 that her acting career really began when she was cast as Molly in the short-lived television series Day By Day. That same year she played an important role in the movie Purple People Eater opposite Ned Beatty and Neil Patrick Harris for which she won a Youth In Film Award for her performance. |
