Thora Birch

Thora Birch (born March 11 1982) is an American producer and actress. In 1988 she made her feature film debut with Purple People Eater. For the performance, she was awarded an Young Artist Award as "Best Young Actress Under nine years old". Birch became a star as young actress, appearing in films such as All I Want for Christmas (1991), Patriot Games (92), Hocus Pocus (93), Monkey Trouble (1994), Now and Then (1995) and Alaska (1996). In 1999, she was nominated for an BAFTA nomination. In 2001, she was nominated as Best Actress for Ghost World. Birch was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2003 for her role as the lead character in Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story. Birch also starred on Dungeons & Dragons (2000) (2001), The Hole (2004), Silver City (2004), Dark Corners (2006) and Winter of Frozen Dreams (2009). Birch also played Whisperer Mary and Gamma in season 10 of The Walking Dead (2019-2020). Birch was the eldest of children born to Jack Birch (and Carol Connors) in Los Angeles. Birch, whose family's original surname was Biersch was of German-Jewish, Scandinavian, French-Canadian and Italian heritage. [6] Her name, Thora comes from the Norse god of lightning and thunder "Thor" that would be her name were she a boy. She has a younger brother, Kian Bolt Birch.Birch's parents were both former film actors who both were in the film Deep Throat. Because of their own experience working in the entertainment business, they were not keen to promote her, but they were persuaded by Thora's picture to agents by a babysitter who saw her mimicking commercials. Birch was given her first major break at the age of four, when the babysitter accompanied her to a successful audition for an Quaker Oats commercial.