---
name: "Thora Birch"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/thora-birch"
fi1m_id: "thora-birch"
imdb_id: "nm0000301"
tmdb_id: 2155
wikidata_id: "Q236875"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "11 March 1982"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-04T23:29:29.666645+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Thora Birch

## Identity

Thora Birch

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/thora-birch
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** thora-birch
- **IMDb ID:** nm0000301
- **TMDB ID:** 2155
- **Wikidata ID:** Q236875
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thora_Birch, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q236875, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000301/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2155

Actor. Born 11 March 1982 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 11 March 1982, Los Angeles, California, USA
- **Active:** 1992–2010
- **Also known as:** Thora
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 6: 5 acting, 1 other
- **Frequently works with:** [Donald E. Stewart](https://film.one/person/donald-e-stewart.md), [Harrison Ford](https://film.one/person/harrison-ford.md), [Mace Neufeld](https://film.one/person/mace-neufeld.md), [Phillip Noyce](https://film.one/person/phillip-noyce.md), [Robert Rehme](https://film.one/person/robert-rehme.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 73, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 71 (3), 2000s 70 (2), 2010s 68 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 73 to 70 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 4 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Action 2, Thriller 2, Action & Adventure 1, Comedy 1, Crime 1
- **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $759m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thora_Birch, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q236875, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000301/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2155

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Ghost World*](https://film.one/film/ghost-world.md) (84), [*Capitalism: A Love Story*](https://film.one/film/capitalism-a-love-story.md) (56)
- **Hulu:** [*Patriot Games*](https://film.one/film/patriot-games.md) (61)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Thora Birch

> We rate Thora Birch for the restraint she brings to disaffected young women. Her outsiders have enough sadness and intelligence to hold our attention without having to win our affection, particularly in *American Beauty* and *Ghost World*.

Thora Birch lets the melancholy remain visible in a sarcastic young woman. The disapproval is there, but it does not tell us everything about the person doing the disapproving. We rate her restraint, especially when a film gives her room to make an outsider more than a collection of sharp replies. Her child roles included Dani Dennison in *Hocus Pocus* (1993); *American Beauty* (1999) brought the move into adult drama. It was a useful setting for that seriousness.

As Jane Burnham, the alienated daughter in Sam Mendes's film, she gives adolescent unhappiness emotional weight. We were moved by Jane because Birch lets the hurt register without overplaying it. Alan Ball's screenplay too often presents familiar complaints about middle-class life as fresh discoveries, and the acting cannot make those observations more original. Annette Bening is our particular reason to recommend the performances, but Birch belongs in that recommendation too. Jane matters to the film because we can take her feelings seriously even when we have reservations about what the adults have been given to say.

In Terry Zwigoff's *Ghost World* (2001), her Enid Coleslaw combines sarcasm with a persistent melancholy. Birch's intelligence and restraint are well suited to a character whose disaffection could otherwise become wearing. The danger in describing her through Jane and Enid is that we start treating an actor as a type. Those parts are good reasons to follow her, not instructions for everything she should play.

The later work has taken her through independent films and back to television in *The Walking Dead* (2019–2020), alongside a supporting part as Becca in *The Last Black Man in San Francisco* (2019). That less tidy stretch should not tempt us to pretend every credit deserves the same attention. Nor does a smaller part tell us that an actor has become less interesting. Start with *American Beauty* for Birch within a strong cast, then try *Ghost World* if her quiet handling of disaffection is what stays with you.

## Biography

Thora Birch is an American actress. Born on 11 March 1982 in Los Angeles, she began her career as a child performer with a role in the 1988 film *Purple People Eater* and appeared in several 1990s films, including *Patriot Games* (1992), *Hocus Pocus* (1993), *Now and Then* (1995) and *Alaska* (1996).

She gained wider recognition for her performance as Jane Burnham in *American Beauty* (1999), which earned her a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Birch received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for her leading role in *Ghost World* (2001). Her other credits include *The Walking Dead* and the television film *Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story* (2003), for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (6)

### Performed in (5) — the average rests on these

- *The Walking Dead* (2010), Fi1m 68, as Gamma — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-walking-dead.md)
- *Ghost World* (2001), Fi1m 84, as Enid — [page](https://film.one/film/ghost-world.md)
- *American Beauty* (1999), Fi1m 76, as Jane Burnham — [page](https://film.one/film/american-beauty.md)
- *Clear and Present Danger* (1994), Fi1m 75, as Sally Ryan — [page](https://film.one/film/clear-and-present-danger.md)
- *Patriot Games* (1992), Fi1m 61, as Sally Ryan — [page](https://film.one/film/patriot-games.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Capitalism: A Love Story* (2009), Fi1m 56, as Self — [page](https://film.one/film/capitalism-a-love-story.md)

## Complete filmography (58)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Chronology of Water* (2025), as Claudia
- *Thirsty* (2025), as Sonia Allen
- *The Midway Point* (2024), as Cristina
- *Mayfair Witches* (2023), series, as Gifford Mayfair
- *The Gabby Petito Story* (2022), as Nichole Schmidt · Director, Co-Executive Producer
- *13 Minutes* (2021), as Jess
- *In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover* (2020), as Dani
- *Above Suspicion* (2019), as Jolene
- *Kindred Spirits* (2019), as Chloe
- *The Last Black Man in San Francisco* (2019), as Becca
- *Affairs of State* (2018), as Callie Roland
- *The Etruscan Smile* (2018), as Emily
- *The Competition* (2018), as Lauren · Producer
- *Colony* (2016), series, as Morgan
- *Petunia* (2013), as Vivian Petunia
- *The Walking Dead* (2010), series, as Mary, Gamma — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-walking-dead.md)
- *The Pregnancy Pact* (2010), as Sidney Bloom
- *Deadline* (2009), as Lucy Woods
- *Winter of Frozen Dreams* (2009), as Barbara Hoffman
- *Train* (2008), as Alex
- *Dark Corners* (2006), as Karen Clarke / Susan Hamilton
- *My Life as a Teenage Robot: Escape from Cluster Prime* (2005), as Vega (voice)
- *Slingshot* (2005), as April
- *Silver City* (2004), as Karen Cross
- *The Dot* (2004), as Narrator
- *Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story* (2003), as Liz Murray
- *Shadow Realm* (2002), as Susan Thornhill
- *Ghost World* (2001), as Enid — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/ghost-world.md)
- *The Making of "Dungeons and Dragons"* (2001), as Empress Savina (archive footage) (uncredited)
- *The Hole* (2001), as Liz Dunn
- *Dungeons & Dragons* (2000), as Empress Savina
- *The Smokers* (2000), as Lincoln Roth
- *Anywhere but Here* (1999), as Mary
- *American Beauty* (1999), as Jane Burnham — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/american-beauty.md)
- *Night Ride Home* (1999), as Clea Mahler
- *Alaska* (1996), as Jessie Barnes
- *TFI Friday* (1996), series, Actor
- *Now and Then* (1995), as Teeny
- *The Outer Limits* (1995), series, as Aggie Travers
- *Touched by an Angel* (1994), series, as Erin
- *Clear and Present Danger* (1994), as Sally Ryan — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/clear-and-present-danger.md)
- *Monkey Trouble* (1994), as Eva
- *Monty* (1994), series, Actor
- *Hocus Pocus* (1993), as Dani Dennison
- *The Itsy Bitsy Spider* (1992), as Little Girl (voice)
- *Patriot Games* (1992), as Sally Ryan — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/patriot-games.md)
- *All I Want For Christmas* (1991), as Hallie O'Fallon
- *Paradise* (1991), as Billie Pike
- *Dark Avenger* (1990), as Susie Donovan
- *Parenthood* (1990), series, as Taylor Buckman
- *Doogie Howser, M.D.* (1989), series, as Megan
- *Purple People Eater* (1988), as Molly Johnson
- *Day by Day* (1988), series, as Molly Farrell
- *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Clea
- *The Last Seder*, Actor
- *Hurricane Bianca: The Roots of All Evil*, as Mary
- *Mr. Paradise*, Director
- *Civilian*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Thora Birch](https://film.one/media/person/88475/gallery-5539428cdfd7.jpg) Thora Birch — zack_wolk, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Thora_Birch.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Kim Gordon, Imogen Poots, Kristen Stewart, Thora Birch before Cannes red carpet (2025)](https://film.one/media/person/88475/gallery-610fa7d12b8f.jpg) Kim Gordon, Imogen Poots, Kristen Stewart, Thora Birch before Cannes red carpet (2025) — DM10-Redux, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Chronology_of_Water_-_Cannes.jpg/1280px-Chronology_of_Water_-_Cannes.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Thora Birch and Jane Fonda at the Hollywood Film Awards (2015)](https://film.one/media/person/88475/gallery-5dd4ba89c18f.jpg) Thora Birch and Jane Fonda at the Hollywood Film Awards (2015) — Donmike10, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Fonda_-_Birch_at_2015_HFA.jpg/1280px-Fonda_-_Birch_at_2015_HFA.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Principal cast of American Beauty (2016)](https://film.one/media/person/88475/gallery-cb7a65467742.jpg) Principal cast of American Beauty (2016) — Every file contain their respective authors, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Principal_cast_of_American_Beauty.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Thora Birch](https://film.one/media/person/88475/gallery-e09f42bac822.jpg) Thora Birch — Image via TMDB
- ![Thora Birch](https://film.one/media/person/88475/gallery-196f31a8650a.jpg) Thora Birch — Image via TMDB
- ![Thora Birch](https://film.one/media/person/88475/gallery-965e555c13b6.jpg) Thora Birch — Image via TMDB
- ![Thora Birch and Treat Williams on the set of The Etruscan Smile (2016)](https://film.one/media/person/88475/gallery-f460b1459d96.jpg) Thora Birch and Treat Williams on the set of The Etruscan Smile (2016) — Donmike10, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Thora_Birch_%26_Treat_Williams_-_TES.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Photo from yesterday with Thora and Wiley at Congress (2023)](https://film.one/media/person/88475/gallery-7bafad558d29.jpg) Photo from yesterday with Thora and Wiley at Congress (2023) — DM10-Redux, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Thora_Birch_%26_Wiley_Nickel_in_Congress.jpg/1280px-Thora_Birch_%26_Wiley_Nickel_in_Congress.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Thora Birch](https://film.one/media/person/88475/gallery-fb9e722cf673.jpg) Thora Birch — Image via TMDB
- ![Thora Birch](https://film.one/media/person/88475/gallery-21aed2e91ac8.jpg) Thora Birch — Image via TMDB
- ![Thora Birch](https://film.one/media/person/88475/gallery-a4dc606b5852.jpg) Thora Birch — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/thora-birch