credit: YouTube
She was only a child when she stole our hearts. Actress Thora Birch is the young woman we all loved when Disney Channel’s Hocus Pocus aired – and simultaneously became the biggest Halloween hit imaginable. She’s a former child star who knocked the socks off of everyone she worked in front of, and then she retired young. She’s not someone we often see in the spotlight, but the world wants to know about Thora Birch with Hocus Pocus 2 dropping in just a few months.
1. How Old is Thora Birch Now?
It’s difficult to believe the darling little girl who adopted Binx, the lonely big brother and lost cat in Hocus Pocus, is no longer a little girl. She’s all grown up, and you won’t believe her age. She is 40 as of 2022. She was born on March 11, 1982.
2. Wasn’t She On a Big Show Recently?
If you thought her retirement was forever, you are mistaken. She did retire from the show business industry, but she’s back. She came back in 2019 to play a character on a show you might know. It’s called The Walking Dead. Fans loved seeing her come back.
credit: YouTube
3. She is Named for a Marvel Hero
More specifically, her name is derived from the same name as a Marvel Hero. We aren’t entirely certain her parents chose to name her after Thor on purpose, but her name is Thora. Technically, even if she was named for Thor, it wasn’t because of Marvel. It would be because of the Greek God.
4. Her Parents Were Porn Stars
Here’s a fun fact you didn’t know. Her parents did not want to see her get into the entertainment business – which does sound rather odd when you take into consideration the fact that she was 4 when she got her start in the business. Her parents are both former adult film stars, and they didn’t think the industry was well-suited for their daughter.
5. She Got Her Start in Commercials
Her first job was for Quaker Oats. She nailed the audition and landed a commercial when she was a toddler. That audition led to many other roles in commercials, and it got her a big headstart in the industry. She went on to star in commercials for brands such as California Raisins and Burger King, too.
6. She is a Married Woman
She’s only been married a few years. She’s remained rather mum about her personal life over the years. in fact, she rarely makes appearances. However, she didn’t jump into any marriages as a young star. She waited until she was 36 to wed her husband. His name is Michael Benton Adler. He works as a talent manager, and he is a philanthropist as well. They married four days before Christmas in 2018.
credit: YouTube
7. Will She Return for Hocus Pocus 2?
The big news everyone is asking about is this one. Will Thora Birch return to the small screen in the highly anticipated Hocus Pocus 2 on September 30, 2022? No, she will not. The news is sad, and everyone is disappointed, but Dani is not coming back. She couldn’t make it work with her own schedule shooting another project, so she’s not in the new movie.
8. She’s Following in Line with Tim Burton
She is, however, on another project. In keeping in tune with her kind of scary, creepy roles (think Walking Dead and Hocus Pocus), she’s excited to star in the upcoming project called Wednesday. It’s a Tim Burton project, which means it will be absolutely unique from start to finish, and that’s exciting.
9. How Does She Choose Her Roles?
The thing about Thora Birch is that she’s okay stepping away. She’s all right saying no to a part. She’s not the kind of actress who takes any part offered to her for the sake of work. She chooses carefully what she does for a living, and she has a theory. She’s always interested in roles that are different from things she’s done in the past. She’s not someone who enjoys sitting back and doing things that she’s done before. If it’s new and exciting, she’s giving it a second look.
10. Strength is Important to Thora Birch
She was only a child when she was Dani in Hocus Pocus, but she knew that playing a strong character is her deal. She’s doing it now, too. She leans in heavily to the character she feels are strong and independent. Again, those are characters she’s more likely to portray.
