Barack Obama’s Heartwarming Reaction to Daughter Malia Dropping the ‘Obama’ Name for Hollywood Success

Barack Obama recently opened up about his eldest daughter Malia’s decision to go by her middle name, Ann, instead of her last name, as she steps into the film industry. The 26-year-old, who hopes to establish her own career without the “no-baby” label, chose to use her middle name as a tribute to her late grandmother and as a way to avoid instant recognition as a former president’s daughter.

In an appearance on The Pivot Podcast, Obama shared his initial reaction to Malia’s choice. “I was all like, ‘You do know they’ll know who you are,’” he said, recounting his light-hearted yet practical response. But Malia was resolute. “She’s all like, ‘You know what? I want them to watch it that first time and not in any way have that association.’

So I think our daughters go out of their way to not try to leverage that.” Obama also mentioned the challenges he and his wife, Michelle, face in offering support, explaining that both daughters are determined to make it on their own terms. “The challenge for us is letting us give them any help at all. I mean, they’re very sensitive about this stuff. They’re very stubborn about it,” he added.

Malia’s name recently made headlines for its appearance in the credits of her directorial debut film, The Heart, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Using her middle name, she honored her grandmother, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 1995. The project showcased her talents and stood out among more than 14,000 entries, with only around 100 selected for screening at the prestigious festival.

Addressing the media attention surrounding his daughters, Obama reflected on the unique experience they had growing up in the White House. He expressed gratitude that the press largely respected the privacy of his daughters during his presidency. Obama explained that he struck a deal with media personnel, allowing them access to photograph him almost everywhere on the condition that his daughters would be left alone.

“I’m forever grateful they didn’t follow them as kids,” he said, recalling that Malia and Sasha initially found the media coverage alarming when he took office. Since completing her studies at Harvard, Malia has been making strides in the film industry, most notably working as a staff writer on Donald Glover’s Amazon series Swarm.

Glover commended Malia’s talent and noted the unique pressure she faces as Obama’s daughter. “The first thing we did was talk about the fact that she will only get to do this once. You’re Obama’s daughter. So, if you make a bad film, it will follow you around,” he told GQ. But despite the high expectations, Malia has earned the respect of her peers.

Swarm co-creator Janine Nabers praised Malia’s creativity and dedication to her craft, saying, “Some of her pitches were wild as hell, and they were just so good and so funny. She’s an incredible writer. She brought a lot to the table… She’s really, really dedicated to her craft.”

Malia has demonstrated that she is much more than her family name, carving her own path in the entertainment world. With talent, resilience, and determination, she’s earning her place on her own merits, and her father’s reaction highlights the pride and support her family feels as she navigates this journey independently.