Thora Birch Firing Blamed on Dad Jack Birch

Poor Thora Birch seems to have a really bad case of the Stage Dad. The former American Beauty actress was just four days shy of her theatre debut in the Off-Broadway production of “Dracula,” when she was abruptly dismissed and asked to leave the theatre – and was asked to take her meddling father, Jack Birch, with her.

The New York Times is reporting that the play’s director, Paul Alexander, said Thora’s firing was because her father threatened one of the other actors during a rehearsal after he ad-libbed a back rub.

Thora’s father and manager Jack Birch, a former porn star in the 1970s (along with Thora’s mother, Carol Connors), was often on the set of his daughter’s play. The last straw came when he apparently confronted one of the actors who had rubbed Thora’s back during rehearsal. The actor was promptly told by Daddy Birch, “Listen, man, I’m trying to make this easier on you – don’t touch her.”

Alexander tells the New York Times, “I can’t have one of my actors in a situation where he is physically threatened by the father of anyone.” He went on to add, “it was odd to have Jack Birch around so much, but that hadn’t really been a problem until Thursday.”

However, Jack Birch argues, “I was trying to convey Thora’s discomfort. In no way was I making a threat.”

And Thora fired back with her side, telling the Times, “For three weeks I was just doing my thing, and everything I hear was positive, that the work I was doing was wonderful. Maybe it’s some kind of misunderstanding. I mean, there had been no tensions, everything was going wonderfully. Then Friday they just asked me to leave the building. I’m totally in a state of shock over this, I still can’t believe it.”

Although the firing of Thora, who played the female lead of Lucy Steward, comes just days before opening night, Thora has already been replaced by her understudy Emily Bridges, daughter of actor Beau Bridges.

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