Michelle Obama “Respected” Malia’s Name Change For Her Directorial Debut

Malia Obama has made her own mark in Hollywood by dropping her last name for her short film, which Michelle Obama praised while acknowledging that she wanted audiences to associate the film with them specifically. The former first lady explained that Malia, who dropped her surname, wanted her work to feel special and to challenge assumptions about her background. Before making her directorial debut, Malia previously served as a staff writer on the 2023 Prime Video series *Swarm*.