What is Thora Birch's Net Worth?
Thora Birch is an actress who has appeared in dozens of films since a very young age and has a net worth of $6 million. Thora Birch began her career as a child star in such 90s films as "Patriot Games," "Hocus Pocus," "Monkey Trouble," and "Alaska." After having her breakthrough as an adult in the Best Picture Oscar winner "American Beauty," she appeared in "Ghost World," "Silver City," and "Winter of Frozen Dreams," among other films. Birch has also acted on television, with her notable credits including the television film "Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story" and the tenth season of the AMC series "The Walking Dead."
Early Life
Thora Birch was born on March 11, 1982 in Los Angeles, California as the eldest child of Carol and Jack, both former adult actors who appeared in the classic adult film "Deep Throat." She is of Scandinavian, French-Canadian, Italian, and German-Jewish ancestry, and has a young brother named Kian. Birch entered the entertainment industry early on in her life, appearing in a Quaker Oats commercial when she was four. She also appeared in commercials for such brands as Burger King, Vlasic Pickles, and California Raisins.
Child Star in Film
At the age of six in 1988, Birch made her film debut in the science-fiction comedy "Purple People Eater," costarring Neil Patrick Harris, Ned Beatty, and Shelley Winters. For her performance, she won a Young Artist Award. Next, Birch starred alongside Elijah Wood, Don Johnson, and Melanie Griffith in the 1991 drama "Paradise." The same year, she appeared in the Christmas romcom "All I Want for Christmas." In 1992, Birch had a memorable role playing the daughter of Harrison Ford's Jack Ryan in the spy thriller "Patriot Games," based on the Tom Clancy novel. This was followed by the fantasy comedy "Hocus Pocus" and the animal dramedy "Monkey Trouble," in which Birch starred opposite a capuchin monkey. The young actress next reprised her role from "Patriot Games" in that film's sequel, "Clear and Present Danger." In 1995, Birch reunited with her former costar Melanie Griffith to play the younger version of Griffith's character in the coming-of-age film "Now and Then." The year after that, she starred opposite Vincent Kartheiser in the adventure survival drama "Alaska."
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Further Film Career
Birch had her breakthrough as an adult in Sam Mendes' 1999 Best Picture Oscar winner "American Beauty." In the film, she plays Jane Burnham, the shy daughter of Kevin Spacey's main character. "American Beauty" was a major critical and commercial hit, garnering Birch a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Following this success, she appeared in the direct-to-DVD black comedy "The Smokers," the fantasy adventure film "Dungeons & Dragons," and the psychological thriller "The Hole." Birch subsequently starred opposite Scarlett Johansson and Steve Buscemi in Terry Zwigoff's black comedy "Ghost World," based on the Daniel Clowes graphic novel. She earned praise for her performance, and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Next, Birch had a supporting role in John Sayles' 2004 political satire "Silver City." Two years after that, she starred in the horror-thriller "Dark Corners." Birch followed this with two more horror films, 2008's "Train" and 2009's "Deadline." She subsequently starred in the crime film "Winter of Frozen Dreams."
In 2012, Birch starred as the titular character in the dramedy "Petunia." After a hiatus from film acting, she returned in 2018 with "The Etruscan Smile," costarring Brian Cox. Also that year, Birch starred in the romcom "The Competition" and the political thriller "Affairs of State." Her other credits have included "The Last Black Man in San Francisco," "Kindred Spirits," "Above Suspicion," and "13 Minutes."
(Photo by Chelsea Guglielmino/FilmMagic)
Television Career
As in the movies, Birch began acting on television when she was a child. Her first role was on the NBC sitcom "Day by Day," playing the recurring character Molly from 1988 to 1989. In the latter year, she also made an appearance on the medical sitcom "Doogie Howser, M.D." Kicking off the 90s, Birch appeared in the television film "Dark Avenger" and had a main role on the sitcom "Parenthood," based on the eponymous Ron Howard film. She went on to appear in episodes of various shows after that, including "Amen," "Monty," "The Outer Limits," "Promised Land," and "Touched by an Angel." In 1999, Birch appeared in the CBS television film "Night Ride Home."
Birch acted less frequently on the small screen in the 00s. However, she gave one of her most acclaimed performances yet in the 2003 biographical television film "Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story," in which she starred as the titular woman. Birch received an Emmy nomination for her work. Later, in 2010, she starred in the television film "The Pregnancy Test." Birch went on to land a guest role in the first season of the science-fiction series "Colony" in 2016. Following that, she had a recurring role in the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror series "The Walking Dead." Among her other television credits, Birch directed and appeared in the Lifetime biographical television film "The Gabby Petito Story," marking her directorial debut.
Personal Life
In late 2018, Birch wed talent manager and philanthropist Michael Benton Adler.
