Malia Obama Just Got A High-Profile New Job
Malia Obama's teenage years were far from typical, which tends to be the case for any kid who spends years living in the White House. Malia was 10 years old in 2008 when her father, Barack Obama, was elected president. He went on to serve a second term, meaning that Malia was a legal adult by the time her family left the White House.
The Obamas did their best to provide their daughters with what first lady Michelle Obama described as "a sense of normalcy." But when it came time to teach Malia how to drive, Michelle couldn't hop in the passenger's seat to instruct her daughter as so many other parents do with their teens. "The Secret Service [taught Malia], actually, because they wouldn't let me in the car with her," Michelle explained in a 2015 "Rachael Ray" interview.
While living in the White House had its downsides, being exposed to the world of politics at an early age afforded Malia some amazing opportunities, such as a 2016 internship at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, per ABC España. However, in a 2021 interview on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," Barack suggested that having to be accompanied by Secret Service agents on their dates likely "shut down [his daughters'] interest in public service." Instead of getting into politics, Malia has chosen a different career path that will allow her to rub elbows with some of her father's Hollywood supporters.
Why Malia Obama's parents wanted her to work a low-paying job
In 2014, Barack and Michelle Obama told Parade why they wanted their daughters to experience working minimum wage jobs. "I think every kid needs to get a taste of what it's like to do that real hard work," Michelle said. Her husband added that they wanted their daughters to learn that "getting a paycheck is not always fun, not always stimulating, not always fair."
But while other teens were learning the value of a dollar by bagging groceries, Malia was working as a production assistant on the TV series "Extant" at age 15, per The Wrap. Now, the Harvard grad's interest in behind-the-scenes work in the entertainment industry has paid off in a huge way: In a March 25 Vanity Fair interview, "Atlanta" creator Donald Glover confirmed that he has hired Malia to write for his new Amazon series, "Hive." "She's just like, an amazingly talented person," Glover said. "Her writing style is great."
"Hive" reportedly centers on "a Beyoncé-type character," so Malia might have some invaluable insight to offer — after all, she did score an invite to Queen Bey's birthday party in 2016, per Vanity Fair. Malia also had internships for the Weinstein Company and "Girls," and if her impressive résumé isn't enough to land her future Hollywood gigs, she could always use "Extant" star Halle Berry as a reference. "She was fantastic," Berry said of Malia on "Watch What Happens Live" in 2017. "She was amazing."