Thora Birch has spent most of her life under studio lights, so when she speaks plainly, people still lean in.
The Hocus Pocus and American Beauty actress revealed she is bisexual during an appearance at the 35th anniversary celebration for The Abbey — the legendary West Hollywood bar that has long functioned as part nightclub, part sanctuary, part Hollywood confessional booth.
“As a hometown girl, I’m always here to show my support for the community, which shaped so much of who I am and my identity as well, being a bi person,” Birch told Us Weekly during the event.
The actress kept the tone reflective rather than performative, speaking about community and solidarity at a time when Hollywood conversations around identity often feel filtered through branding departments and PR handlers.
“That’s the only way we’re going to get through all this madness,” she said. “Just embracing one another. We have to stop fighting.”
Birch’s connection to West Hollywood runs deeper than a red carpet appearance. A representative for the actress said she grew up within walking distance of The Abbey, the famous LGBTQ hotspot once frequented by screen icon Elizabeth Taylor.
For anyone who grew up watching Birch in the late ’90s and early 2000s, there’s a strange weight to hearing her speak now. She was one of those child stars who always seemed sharper than the machinery around her — too self-aware to fully disappear into the Hollywood conveyor belt.
In recent interviews, Birch has reflected openly on the cost of growing up famous, speaking candidly about isolation, survival, and watching fellow young stars struggle under the pressure. Referencing late actors Brittany Murphy and Brad Renfro, she acknowledged how brutal the transition from child actor to adult performer can become.
“What helped me was maintaining a sense of humor,” Birch recently said, adding that stepping away from the industry at times helped preserve some sense of normal life outside the Hollywood bubble.
Now 44, Birch has quietly built a second act that feels steadier than the first. She recently appeared in The Chronology of Water, the directorial debut from Kristen Stewart, while continuing her role in AMC’s Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches.
Away from acting, Birch has also stepped behind the camera herself, directing Lifetime’s The Gabby Petito Story and preparing to helm Mr. Paradise, an adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel.
Hollywood rarely slows down long enough for former child stars to find peace with themselves. Birch, against the odds, seems to have managed it.
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Last modified: May 26, 2026
