Malia Obama is well-acquainted with life in the public eye as the daughter of former President Barack Obama. At 25, she recently made her directorial debut with the short film The Heart at the Sundance Film Festival, where she introduced herself as Malia Ann, dropping her last name.
Born on July 4, 1998, her middle name honors her late grandmother. In The Heart, Malia describes the story as a fable about a man grieving his mother’s death and her unusual will request. She emphasizes themes of loss, loneliness, and forgiveness.
Malia has prior experience in the industry, having worked in the writers’ room for Donald Glover’s Amazon Prime show Swarm, co-writing the episode “Girl, Bye.” Her professionalism and talent have been praised by her colleagues, who assert that she is committed to her craft.
For her directorial debut, Malia appeared relaxed and natural, with minimal makeup and her curly hair styled with small braids. She joins a list of celebrities who have chosen to redefine their identities by dropping family names, like Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie.
