It’s been more than three decades since Thora Birch first captured audiences’ hearts as Dani Dennison in Disney’s 1993 Halloween classic “Hocus Pocus”. As the youngest member of the Dennison family, Birch played the spirited little girl who helps her older brother Max and his new friend Allison battle the Sanderson sisters. The movie initially received mixed reviews, but it eventually became a Halloween favorite, making Birch’s performance a nostalgic staple for generations of fans.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Birch began acting at a young age, appearing in commercials before landing television and film roles. By the time she appeared in “Hocus Pocus”, she had already built a substantial résumé, including appearances in “Paradise” and “All I Want for Christmas.”
Thora Birch’s Career
While many fans will always remember Birch as Dani, her career continued to flourish after the Disney movie. In 1995, she starred in “Now and Then”, the coming-of-age film about four childhood friends played by a talented ensemble that also included Christina Ricci, Rosie O’Donnell, Melanie Griffith and Demi Moore.
She later starred in the critically acclaimed 1999 film “American Beauty,” playing Jane Burnham, which immediately became her breakout role as an adult actress. Her performance earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Birch continued to earn recognition for her work, receiving a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the 2001 film “Ghost World”. She also earned an Emmy nomination for her role in the television movie “Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story”.
She ultimately decided to take a break from fame and acting, telling The Guardian the decision was made to allow herself “to take a break and live my life, branch out a little, educate myself.”
“It makes me angry when you use that phrase [step back],” Birch added, “because I didn’t step back. I was always working, it’s just that no one was paying attention.”
Thora Birch Today
Birch has continued taking on projects in recent years, although she tends to maintain a relatively low profile outside of her work.
In 2025, she appeared in Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut, “The Chronology of Water”, an adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir. The project marked another interesting addition to Birch’s decades-long career.
In October 2026, she made a rare red carpet appearance at AFI Fest in Hollywood for the premiere of “The Mosquito Bowl”, generating renewed attention from fans who grew up watching her in “Hocus Pocus”.
Away from the screen, Birch married talent manager Michael Adler in 2018. The couple has generally kept their personal life private.
“I never stopped loving acting or never didn’t want to act. Um, but I think what really brought me back to, let’s just say, storytelling, was the hearts and minds of it all,” she said during a January appearance on the “Collider Ladies Night” podcast. “I think when I took that break, I was looking for something that would make me feel like I was making an impact.’
What Happened to Thora Birch? Where the ‘Hocus Pocus’ Star Is Now