Malia Obama, daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama, is carving her own path in film—and even dropped her famous last name. At 25, she debuted her short film The Heart as a director and screenwriter at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, using the name Malia Ann.
Born Malia Ann Obama on July 4, 1998, she was named in part after her paternal grandmother. Raised in the public eye and a Harvard graduate, Malia began her screenwriting career with the 2021 Amazon Prime series Swarm, working alongside stars like Billie Eilish and Rory Culkin.
Her collaborators praised her writing skills and work ethic, with Swarm co-creator Janine Nabers calling her pitches “wild” and “so good.” Despite her background, executive producer Stephen Glover noted she was treated like any other team member.
Barack and Michelle recently shared birthday tributes to Malia on her 25th, expressing their pride and love for the woman she’s become.