December 15th, 2010
04:00 PM ET
Thora Birch fired from 'Dracula'We're pretty positive that the news was supposed to be about Thora Birch getting fired from a production of “Dracula.” But nestled in a New York Times report about said firing was this little factoid about her dad, Jack Birch: “Mr. Birch, formerly an actor in pornographic films who is now Ms. Birch’s manager, had attended most rehearsals to provide support and guidance for his daughter.” *Crickets*
According to the Times' story, the “American Beauty” actress was all set to star in an off-Broadway revival of “Dracula” when her dad allegedly got into it with an unidentified cast mate. The director claims that it was the off-stage drama that caused her dismissal. “The director, Paul Alexander, said the decision had nothing to do with Ms. Birch’s acting abilities, which he praised; she was playing the central female character, Lucy Seward, the love interest of Count Dracula,” the Times' story said. “Mr. Alexander said that Ms. Birch was fired because her father, Jack, had threatened another actor during a rehearsal on Thursday night. Mr. Birch, in an interview, denied making any threat.” The elder Birch said he was just trying to “convey Thora’s discomfort” after she looked “a little uncomfortable on stage because an actor kept rubbing her back” and denies that he made any threats. The actress said she was completely baffled by the whole thing. “For three weeks I was just doing my thing, and everything I hear was positive, that the work I was doing was wonderful,” she told the paper. “Maybe it’s some kind of misunderstanding. I mean, there had been no tensions, everything was going wonderfully. Then Friday they just asked me to leave the building.” We are still unsure as to how her father’s past as an actor in adult films factors into the whole situation, but we remain fascinated.
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Hello, I have found your blog, looking for blogs that they speak on the great vampire.
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http://espiralesdetinta.blogspot.com/2011/03/dracula-de-bram-stoker.html
Thora should have fired her "manager" and stayed in the show. She's too old for her career to be managed by Daddy. Isn't she nearly 30 now?
@TheNumbersGame:boom chicka bahm bahm! LMAO!
@SKY: Turn your cap lock off! You're shouting!
@Zoe: Spot on! Well said.
@sarare: quit spamming! Gross!
She's got some massive, slammin' gazongs though..
She's just not pale enough to play a vampire...
Wow! She has a Fivehead.
I remember him! His screen name was "Buck Naked".
This is ridiculous. Thora Birch is a professional who has acted in numerous fantastic films, her talent is undeniable. She is also an adult, far from being a minor, and her parents actions should have nothing to do with anything. I can understand banning him from the set, but punishing her for no reason? Not only unprofessional, but truly bizarre.
FACT: THERE ARE PARENTS, WHO WANT TO LIVE THEIR DREAMS
THROUGH THEIR CHILDRENS.
AND CHILDREN HAVE LITTLE SAY IT THIS.
A ADULT HAS A LOTS TO SAY...THEY HAVE THEIR OWN DREAMS AND GOALS.
A ADULT KNOWS WHEN TO TELL THEIR PARENTS – GO HOME!
I bet she gives great head....
Leave mommy and daddy @ home when you got o work...
I'm pretty sure this went down this way: The cast and crew had a secret, that which was unknown to the actress. They wanted to see her father react to something. You can guess what... the possible shoulder rub. Perhaps unknown to the actress, the actor rubbing her, then again it could have been an actress rubbing her, gave a look to the father. This is how it goes down in my mind.
I remember one time when I gave a crap about something. This was not one of those times.
There's got to be a Deep Throat reference in here somewhere.... that was his best movie...
I really enjoyed Thora in American Beauty...in fact American Beauty is one of my fav movies. It's weird...al my fav movies end with the death of the lead character. American Beauty, Easy Rider, Blow (well he's in jail), The Doors, the list goes on...
Gotta love the last sentence....
"We are still unsure as to how her father’s past as an actor in adult films factors into the whole situation, but we remain fascinated."
At least "they" will remain fascinated. The rest of couldn't care less. lol
This is nonsense. Why didn't the director talk to her about her father's problems?
Why fire her? She looks like a vampire!
What gives a Rat's azz
you could screen the original Dracula movie on her forehead.
Skipping this movie. Alexander should have had the courtesy to deliver an ultimatum to Thora. Since he didn't, I'm skipping his movies from here on out.
ok. but it is a play.
At a loss here. How do you read this story and NOT get that it is a play, not a movie?
Much better that the actor just go ahead and treat Thora like momma used to great treated on the set?
Its sad she is being punished for the actions of her father
Well, maybe it was Dracula who was rubbing her back! Get the holy water, garlic, cross, broad spectrum light, whatever it takes nowadays to stop the vampire! But, seriously, there's a whole lotta bad blood running through the father's body and maybe that's warped his thinking. His daughter doesn't know her father's a nut case? Or is there something really weird going on between them?
Don't worry pops if some guy actor is giving her a backrub chances are he is gay anyways.
Miss Birch is 28? I think daddy has issues with his daughter if someone rubbing her back sets him off!
Question? What was her father doing at rehearsals anyway?
That's a rather large forehead she's got there.
Uh Oh– looks like this wanna be mogul de-railed his gravy train.
She and her dad seem a little too close for comfort Just sayin'.
Me thinks she wasn't doing that good afterall...
@JacklynD Agreed. You said it all.
She has a huge forehead btw.
5-Head.
she dreams in Widescreen
That forehead is just wrong.
Her forehead is bigger than the rest of her head (her afthead?)
Thora Birch is an adult. Why not just ban her father from the set? The story doesn't make any sense.
I agree with you Jackie. I think Ms. Thora was just another victim of showbiz politics.
Dang...look at the forehead on that chick!!!!
Well, it is a play about vampires and the people who love them. I think anything goes, even huge foreheads.
forehead? that's a fivehead!
She has an amazing rack.
She does, she was a frickin goddess in her early 20's. She was like the hottest thing imaginable in "Ghost World".
And you are disgusting
Ryan, you have a very limited imagination.
Gosh, you don't know the half of it: BOTH her parents were in none other than Deep Throat.
And her dads a big d!ck!!!!
Since when was Lucy "the central female character," or even "the love interest" of Count Dracula?
Guess they never read the book.
Yeah, it's a play, genius.
Agreed. Nina Harker was the main female character in the book and Dracula's primary love interest (or obsession).
Yeah...Owen it was Nina not Lucy, the latter was just a friend of the former that became the victim of Dracula to satisfy his lust. So...QUIT PLAYING, read the book and be informed, before making some "GENIUS" reply here.
I always thought Ricky was Lucy's love interest.
I think I saw this adaptation, and for half the first act I had no idea what was going on because of the name changes. Also, it's Mina not Nina 🙂
seriously, you guys? it's not Nina, it's MINA. with an M. short for Wilhelmina. if you can't get it right, don't try to correct someone else.
and it's a play adaptation, not a staging of the book. there's a thing called artistic license. look it up.
It's most likely the Balderston and Dean version. It is switched around in the play. Lucy is the main love interest. I only know this because I played Jonathan Harker in it once. It's a pretty awful play
It's the revised version of the 1924 play, which was made very popular by Frank Langella (on both Broadway and film). Major changes are made to the characters, and Lucy Seward (John Seward's daughter) is the primary female character.
I'm not excusing it, I'm just explaining it. 😉
For all you snide know it alls telling people to 'read the book' how about you go back and actually watch the Lugosi version which was based on the play (in which Lugosi also starred)...yep...LUCY was the love interest in both not Mina (NOT 'Nina') Harker. So do a little research on the source material before blasting folks or at least get the names right. I love it when condescending clods jump in to criticize other people's ignorance and only re-emphasize their own. So feel free to critique those that wrote the play version (which was turned in to the movie version) with Lugosi for mixing up the two and next time try knowing what youre talking about before making yourselves look uninformed.
You don't have to read the book to know Mina was the main female character. It was obvious in movie done with Keanu Reeves plus a handful of the other movies.
svscnn this is based on the adaptation from 1924, a stage play adapted by Hamilton Deane. He changed the names for Lucy and Mina's character. It's the same in the Frank Langella film version. The story is correct.
Frankenstein's monster kills Mina, Nina, More AND becomes the central love interest.
Probably since the exact moment that the writer/director put together his/her adaptation. Do you expect every president elected to do the exact same things George Washington did?
He tends to get lightheaded often... Loss of blood to the head, and all...
Man!! That Dirk Diggler really needs to chill out!!!
I was thinking of Chest Rockwell.
Thora's what, 28 years old now, and her daddy/manager insists on being present for every single rehearsal? And he blew up when another actor touched his precious daughter on stage?
He's one seriously messed up daddy. Wants to make sure his meal ticket doesn't get ideas about having a life of her own, I guess.