Actress Thora Birch, who gained fame in American Beauty, is the reluctant center of attention relating to a bizarre scenario that saw her fired from an off-Broadway production of Dracula just days before the opening. Seems her father, who was observing the rehearsals, objected to an actor giving Thora a back rub. When the actor protested that he was simply following the director's orders and that it was part of the scene, the father instructed him to nevertheless cease and desist. Words were exchanged and Birch was summarily fired. Producers haven't commented on whether her dismissal was a direct result of the incident, but insiders say there was no other apparent reason. For more click here