Named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder, Thora was born in Los Angeles to Jack Birch and Carol Connors Birch (they kept up the tempestuous theme by naming her younger brother Bolt Birch). By age 4, she was a regular at commercial auditions and, by age 6, she’d landed a spot on the short-lived daycare sitcom “Day by Day” (1988). Her film career got off to an auspicious start that same year, when she won a Young Artist Award for her debut opposite Neil Patrick Harris in the children’s fantasy flick Purple People Eater (1988). After a short break, she picked up a role in another fleeting sitcom, “Parenthood” (1990) (based on the movie of the same name). By age 9, Birch had her life pretty much figured out – she told the L.A. Times that she planned to become a director by 24, then spend a year ice skating, then spend a year as a policewoman, and, finally, become a singer.