The following was taken WITH PERMISSION by Garret Nadrich from teenwriters.net
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Thora Birch

Thora Birch recently made history at www.teenwriters.net when she was selected as WTW's first Ambassador. Being a model of teen entrepreneurship and success, we felt she was the ideal candidate for the award. Below is an exclusive interview with the actress herself, who will be coming out with two movies later this year.

TB = Thora Birch
WTW = When Teens Write

TB
I would like to first off thank you for choosing me to be When Teens Write's first Ambassador. I am truly honored because writing is a secret passion of my own, and I am always encouraging fellow young adults who wish to explore their own creativity. Words, and the images they allow one to conjure up in their minds are the most precious things, replaceable by very little, if anything.

WTW
Well, Thora Birch, you have come a long way, and congratulations on being our first WTW Ambassador. What do you think of our site?

TB
I really enjoyed the site and many of the poems and short stories displayed on it. Actually, my intentions in reviewing the site were not 100% unselfish. I write a little poetry and freestyle myself, so part of me was looking to see how my material stacks up to the other writers on your site. I must say, there's some writing that really gave me a run for my ink, so to speak!

WTW
We promote teen success here at WTW. You are a model of our mottos and an inspiration to all of our visitors because of your young successes. What has driven you since a young kid to go against the odds?

TB
I just love acting, man. I genuinely think unabashed passion is the only needed ingredient for career longevity. Sure, the business end of it is real tough and a downright pain in the ass sometimes, but at the end of the day; I don't think there's anything in the world that could make me quit. Perhaps that's a little obsessive, but hey, you know. This is my life and I've been doing this since before I could jump rope.

WTW
Besides acting, do you have any other hobbies or passions that you participate in or pursue?

TB
In addition to acting I also enjoy writing, playing the piano, reading and watching movies. After all, what else is there besides films?

WTW
Do you still keep in contact with old friends that you grew up with? Did you find it difficult?

TB
I still have some friends that I went to school with when I was in elementary, but yeah it is difficult. Especially now since they all abandoned me by going off to college or traveling. Now I just make friends wherever I happen to be traveling to; or with people I work alongside.

WTW
A lot of times people who are successful are met with jealousy or resentment from their peers. Were you met with this? And if so, how did you deal with it?

TB
I started acting when I was 4. Too young for the other kids to even really understand what was going on, or why I would be absent for weeks, then just show up again. By the time I got old enough for the other kids to really pay attention to what I was doing, they were used to it and didn't care. Plus, this is LA, so kids going out on two or three auditions after school everyday wasn't really THAT unusual.

WTW
If you could give the visitors on our site any advice in regards to pursuing their careers early, what would it be?

TB
If I have any advice for anyone, it's: Don't take advice and don't ask for it. You'll feel much better about yourself at the end of the day if you can look back and say, "wow, I kind of did that on my own and in my own way." There's something profoundly magical about the feeling of ownership or security in your own individuality.

WTW
Tell us about the movies you will be coming out with this year.

TB
Soon a teen-psychological thriller entitled, "The Hole" will be coming out in England, then here. That is about four students who go into an abandoned bomb shelter for three days to party. But, they end up getting trapped for 16 days, and only one comes out alive. Me. : ) Another film that will probably come out in the summer is "Ghost World", based on an underground comic book of the same name by Dan Clowes.

WTW
I personally loved your performance in American Beauty. How was working with Kevin Spacey?

TB
Kevn Spacey is brilliant. He's intelligent, hard working, amazingly creative, and yet he STILL knows how to have a good time!

WTW
Do you tend to keep in touch with the actors you work with?

TB
I always try to stay in touch with people I work with. However, it is difficult. Mainly because as soon as the shoot's over, everyone goes on to the next thing and the only time you might see them again is at a party or other industry functions. I must say, though, that I think as a cast, all of us from American Beauty did form a unique bond.

WTW
How did you like working with a monkey back in 94's Monkey Trouble?

TB
Monkey Trouble was a trip to work on. There were actually four different monkeys playing the same "part" and it was very hard to tell them apart. Plus, every time I was in a scene with "Dodger", I practically had to scream my lines in order to hear myself talk over the animal wrangler in the background buzzing his little tool in order to make the monkey stay still saying, "Stay Shana! (one of the monkey's) Stay! GOOOOOOD GIRL! No, STAY!"

Questions by site director, Garett R. Nadrich

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