Thora Birch (born March 11, 1982) is an American actress. She got her first role at the age of 6 in the short-lived sitcom Day by Day; that role was followed by an appearance in the motion picture Purple People Eater (1988), for which she received a Young Artist Award for “Best Young Actress Under Nine Years of Age”. Birch’s profile was raised significantly with major parts in films such as All I Want for Christmas (1991), Patriot Games (1992), Hocus Pocus (1993), Monkey Trouble (1994), Now and Then (1995), and Alaska (1996).