Thora Birch Wants to Be a Director . . . and an Ice Skater . . . and a Cop . . .

“At 24, I want to be a director,” proclaims Thora Birch. “Then I want to go into ice skating for a year and then be a cop for a year and then I would like to go back to directing and then I would like to be a singer.”

But for now, 9-year-old Thora is content with being an actress. Thora practically steals the new film “Paradise” as Billie, the precocious young neighbor of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson.

“It’s a real heart-wrenching, heart-tugging, tear-jerking movie,” Thora says, who adds her emotional scenes were a piece of cake for her. “I know how to deal with that stuff, not to brag. I just think like what the character is going through. I don’t think it’s hard.”

Working with Don Johnson was a dream come true for the talkative Thora. “To tell you the truth, I love Don Johnson. I have since I was 5. I still love him. It was like ‘yooow’ when I met him. Melanie is a good friend too.”

Thora, who lives in L.A., began acting in commercials at age 4. She roller-skates and holds a blue belt in karate. She just began the fourth grade. “Last year, I got straight A’s and that chills my parents down if you know what I mean. I like school, but I don’t think I want to get carried away with college. I like my career way better than the idea of college.”