Malia Obama, 25, Debuts Her Alias & Ditches Family Surname After Starting Movie Career

Malia Obama, the daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama, recently premiered her short film, “The Heart,” at the Sundance Film Festival. The name used to credit the former President’s daughter, was void of her family’s last name.

Barack Obama and Malia Obama, 2012 | Source: Getty Images

Malia Ann Obama was born on July 4, 1998, with her middle name honoring Barack’s mother, who passed away in 1995 from ovarian cancer at the age of 52. After growing up as the president’s daughter and graduating from Harvard, Malia decided to pursue a career as a screenwriter.

Malia Obama, 2007 | Source: Getty Images

In her latest film, “The Heart,” where Malia is credited as director and screenwriter, she chose to go by her stage name, Malia Ann. She made an appearance on the red carpet at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival earlier this month for the premiere of the movie.

Malia Obama, 2024 | Source: Getty Images

This wasn’t Malia’s first experience in the industry. In 2021, she became part of the writing team for the “Swarm” series, which later premiered on Amazon Prime. With Billie Eilish and Rory Culkin among the cast, the “Swarm” marked a promising start to her career.

“She’s an incredible writer,” said co-creator of the “Swarm,” Janine Nabers, about Malia. “She brought a lot to the table… She’s really, really dedicated to her craft.”

Malia Obama, 2016 | Source: Getty Images

Despite her famous family, one of the executive producers of “Swarm,” Stephen Glover, insisted that they treated Malia just like any other member of the creative team.

“We can’t be easy on her just because she’s the [former] President’s daughter,” he stated. “Nah, she’s very down to earth, and cool. So, it’s not a problem at all.”