Barack Obama Reveals Malia Dropped Surname Off Latest Short Film’s Credits

Barack Obama Reveals Malia Dropped Surname Off Latest Short Film’s Credits

As a seasoned gamer with a knack for deciphering behind-the-scenes stories, I must say this tale of Malia Obama and her secretive filmmaking journey is a fascinating one. It’s not every day we see the daughter of a former U.S. President opting to fly under the radar in the cutthroat world of Hollywood.


Malia Obama chose a pen name when she anonymously submitted her latest short film, a collaborative project with Emmy-winning producer Donald Glover, for consideration at film festivals.

On Wednesday, a clip from an interview between Barack Obama and Ryan Clark on The Pivot Podcast was shared on social media. In this chat, they were joined by former NFL players Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder. Ryan Clark explained the context of their discussion in posts on his Instagram and X (previously Twitter).

President Obama’s daughters, Malia and Sasha, will forever be recognized as Michelle and Barack Obama’s offspring. Some might view this as an unfair advantage, but neither girl appears to share this sentiment. In fact, Malia opted not to use her last name during a collaborative project with Donald Glover. The former president has even negotiated arrangements with White House journalists to shield his daughters from unnecessary attention. Although there is still some paparazzi, the girls are generally very down-to-earth and well-grounded.

In the video, Clark shares with Obama that his son is currently playing football for Notre Dame. In a recent interview, he was asked about his experience as a son of an NFL player. Essentially, Clark relayed his son’s response, saying he told the journalist that as a child, he tried to distance himself from it since other kids believed his success was solely due to his father. However, now that he’s grown, his son explained that he can proudly carry on his father’s legacy because he comprehends the significance of bearing that name.

Later, Clark inquired from Obama about the emphasis he places on his daughters to achieve success independently, based on their individual talents and efforts.

Obama said, ‘The difficulty lies in offering assistance of any kind, because they’re extremely cautious and determined about such matters. For instance, Malia has made a movie, and as a proud father, I can’t help but boast. Surprisingly, she didn’t list me as the director on the credits for her debut film, which screened at Sundance and other prestigious film festivals.’

It was disclosed that Malia, who is known as Malia Ann in credit, is the former first daughter. Her short film titled “The Heart” features Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio’s lead singer), LaTonya Borsay, and John Weigand. The synopsis of the film goes like this: “An unforeseen request and a heartbreaking loss shed light on the deep and intricate bond between a mother and her son.

Obama shared with the podcast hosts that he warned Malia that her secret wasn’t likely to go unnoticed.

He commented, “I pointed out that they’d surely recognize you,” to which she responded, “Funny thing is, I prefer if they experience it anew, without any preconceived connections.” Thus, it seems their daughters intentionally avoid using their fame as an advantage.

Later on, Obama shared that during their residence at the White House, he struck an arrangement with the press corps. They were granted freedom to shadow him, discuss him, and essentially act as they pleased, under one condition: “Keep my kids out of it. They deserve a normal upbringing,” he explained to the interviewers, recalling those days.

He added, “Weren’t they forced into this situation? Let them live their lives naturally.” Praise to the media for respecting their privacy. As they matured, some intrusive paparazzi incidents occurred, which they find irritating because they prefer a low-key lifestyle. Consequently, they are kept in check.

In an April interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Donald Glover discussed his project titled “The Heart.” At that time, he was working behind the scenes as both star and TV writer for this production under his company, Gilga. Notably, Malia (previously a Harvard University graduate in 2021) secured a writing position on Glover’s Amazon series called “Swarm,” following her experience helping the writing team on HBO’s “Girls.

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2024-10-30 23:55