Thora Birch's career in Hollywood

I first really discovered Thora Birch in Ghost World, the 2001 film by Terry Zwigoff. Although American Beauty was made two years prior, I didn’t finally see it until afterwards. I love both of those movies, but I think Ghost World is still my favorite Thora Birch flick.

Thora Birch’s breakthrough role came in 1991 when she won the role of Billie Pike in the movie Paradise, opposite Don Johnson, Melanie Griffith, and Elijah Wood. In auditioning for the role, she went up against 4000 other young actresses, but eventually walked away with the part, which ended up winning her tons of praise.

Thora’s movie career pretty much took off after Paradise and she received a role in Hocus Pocus, as well as the leading roles in All I Want for Christmas as well as Monkey Trouble. She starred opposite Harrison Ford in two big-budget Tom Clancy thrillers, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger.

In 1995, Birch starred in Now and Then, which is widely considered to be her best work. The film centered on for female childhood friends who reunite after some time. The film has been called the “female equivalent” of Stand By Me.

In 1996, after cementing herself as a leading child actress of her generation, she played one of two leading roles in Alaska, where her character and her character’s brother go on a mission to find their father, who has crashed his plane into a mountainside.

In 1999, after a three year break from acting, Birch starred in American Beauty and won enormous critical praise. The movie itself took home the Oscar for best picture.

Following American Beauty, Birch landed leading roles in The Smokers, Dungeons and Dragons, The Hole, and Ghost World, alongside Scarlett Johansson. Birch was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress for her role in Ghost World.

In 2003, Birch played the titular role in Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story. She earned an Emmy nomination.

In 2007, Thora Birch can be seen in Shamrock Boy and Tainted Love. She plays leading roles in both pictures.