Barack Obama recently shared his thoughts on his daughter Malia’s choice to drop the Obama family name in her Hollywood career, marking her transition as a director under “Malia Ann.” The former first daughter premiered her debut film, The Heart, at Sundance Film Festival 2024, opting to go by her first and middle names without the influence of the widely recognized Obama name. Barack Obama revealed during the Pivot podcast that he fully supports Malia’s choice, reflecting her grounded approach to building her own professional identity.
Malia, who gained valuable experience interning on an HBO series and with Harvey Weinstein’s production company before working as a writer on Donald Glover’s Swarm, now seeks to make her mark in film directing. Reflecting on her decision, Barack Obama noted, “Her first film went to Sundance, and she didn’t use ‘Obama’ as a director on the credits.” Malia’s reasoning, he explained, was her desire for audiences to appreciate her work independent of her family’s legacy, remarking, “I want them to watch it that first time and not in any way have that association.”
Barack and Michelle Obama, who now head Higher Ground Productions, pride themselves on their daughters’ independence and reluctance to lean on their parents’ influence in their career pursuits. “Our challenge,” Barack shared, “is that they hardly want us involved. They’re very sensitive and quite stubborn about it.” He noted that both Malia and Sasha are determined to carve out their own spaces without the added visibility of their family name, displaying what he describes as “a grounded outlook” despite public scrutiny.
The trend of high-profile children opting to separate their careers from their parents’ names has grown in recent years. Celebrities such as Suri Cruise (daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes) and Elle King (daughter of Rob Schneider) have adopted similar strategies, choosing to use names that reflect their individuality rather than their familial ties. Additionally, Shiloh and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt have chosen Angelina Jolie’s surname, and Willow Smith often goes by her first name alone. Each of these choices, Barack Obama highlighted, reinforces a broader movement toward independence among children of well-known parents.
In describing Malia’s journey, Barack Obama expressed both pride and nostalgia. As the former president now takes on a key role in supporting Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, he recognizes the unique challenges his daughters face with public attention and paparazzi. “Their attitude is, ‘We’re not looking for all that,’ so they’re grounded,” he said, noting how they strive to lead low-profile lives despite the attention.
ALSO READ: PepsiCo To Close Four U.S. Bottling Plants, Nearly 400 Jobs Impacted Amid Operations Streamlining
