Malia Obama, who is the daughter of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, is now an adult. She’s starting to make her own way in the world, and she’s even chosen to go by a different name now.
The 25-year-old recently showed her first movie, called “The Heart,” at the Sundance Film Festival.
What’s interesting is that in the credits of the movie, she didn’t use her family’s last name.
President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Malia (L) and Sasha (R) pictured at the White House in 2015. Credit: Pete Souza / The White House / Getty.
Malia Ann Obama was born on July 4, 1998. Her middle name honors her grandma, who passed away from cancer when she was 52. Growing up as the President’s daughter and graduating from Harvard, Malia decided to try screenwriting.
In her new project, “The Heart,” Malia is both the director and writer. She used the name Malia Ann for this work. Earlier this year, she looked stunning on the red carpet for the movie’s premiere.
But this isn’t Malia’s first time in the movie business. In 2021, she helped write for the series “Swarm,” which streamed on Amazon Prime. The show had famous actors like Billie Eilish and Rory Culkin. It was a good start to her career.
Malia Ann Obama attends the ‘The Heart’ premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Credit: Dia Dipasupil / Getty.
Janine Nabers, one of the creators of “Swarm,” said Malia had some really funny and great ideas when she pitched for the show. She’s an amazing writer and brought a lot of creativity to the team. Nabers also mentioned that Malia is very dedicated to her work.
Stephen Glover, another producer of “Swarm,” made it clear that Malia wasn’t treated any differently because she’s the former President’s daughter. He said they didn’t go easy on her just because of her family background. Glover added that Malia is down-to-earth and cool to work with, so it wasn’t a problem at all.
Barack and Michelle Obama, who are Malia’s proud parents, shared their love and best wishes for her 25th birthday. Barack posted on Instagram, saying, “Happy birthday to this talented, funny, and beautiful young woman. Malia, I hope you have a great year ahead.”
Michelle Obama also shared her birthday wishes for Malia, saying, “Happy birthday, Malia! I’m so grateful to be your mom and to see you grow into the amazing young woman you are today. I love you lots!”
From being known as Malia Obama to now going by Malia Ann, and from being the President’s daughter to becoming a promising Hollywood writer and director, it’s clear that Malia has a bright future ahead!