'Hocus Pocus' Star Thora Birch Makes Rare Red Carpet Appearance at 'Bullet Train' L.A. Premiere

Benjamin VanHoose
·2 min read
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US actress Thora Birch attends the Los Angeles premiere of "Bullet Train" at the Regency Village theatre in Westwood, California, August 1, 2022.
US actress Thora Birch attends the Los Angeles premiere of "Bullet Train" at the Regency Village theatre in Westwood, California, August 1, 2022.
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MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty

Thora Birch made a rare red carpet appearance this week.

The 40-year-old actress, known for movies like Hocus Pocus, American Beauty and Ghost World, attended the Los Angeles premiere of Bullet Train on Monday, smiling for the cameras during the night out. Birch wore a black dress and heels for the outing.

Birch next appears in the upcoming Netflix Addams Family spin-off series from Tim Burton, Wednesday. Entertainment Weekly confirmed in March that the actress could not reprise her role of Dani for this fall's Disney+ sequel Hocus Pocus 2 due to scheduling conflicts with Wednesday.

In June, Birch looked back on her career in an interview with Collider, saying 2001's Ghost World is one that stands out the most to her.

"A number of them do, for different reasons, but I would agree with you that Ghost World is one of them. Just as far as, if I was just gonna analyze the character alone, Enid was somebody that I spent a lot of time with," she said. "When I was done filming, so much of her essence, personality and worldview stuck with me for a little bit too long after that, to the point where it started messing with my own personal relationships, friendships and stuff like that."

RELATED: See the Hocus Pocus Cast Then and Now

Thora Birch attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Columbia Pictures' "Bullet Train" at Regency Village Theatre on August 01, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
Thora Birch attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Columbia Pictures' "Bullet Train" at Regency Village Theatre on August 01, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

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"I had an unhealthy attachment to that character, but now I just love her in the context that she exists for a lot of other people," continued Birch. "There are also others that I love, if not just as much, then pretty close, for different reasons."

Thora Birch American Beauty - 1999
Thora Birch American Beauty - 1999

Lorey Sebastian/Dreamworks/Kobal/Shutterstock Thora Birch in American Beauty (1999)

About deciding which roles to take on, Birch said it all "depends on the script," while adding that she likes to "play in the gray areas."

"What always excites me the most is the sense that maybe I haven't seen something ... quite like it before. I also tend to lean towards stronger, opinionated female characters," she explained. "Anything that can provide you with an opportunity to exercise your creative juices in a new way is always the most inspiring."