The Sign Sasha Obama Finally Joined The Rest Of Her Family In Show Business
Following their time in the White House, the Obamas have ventured into an entirely different arena of American culture: the entertainment industry. In 2018, former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama surprised the nation by founding Higher Ground, a production company with an attention-grabbing Netflix deal. Higher Ground started off strong — one of its earliest releases, an exposé of blue collar working conditions titled "American Factory," snatched up the 2020 Oscar for Best Documentary. Since then, the Obamas have continued to produce a variety of feature-length projects, from an adaptation of one of Barack's favorite novels to a biopic about civil rights activist Bayard Rustin.
Barack and Michelle aren't the only members of the family with an interest in show business. Over the years, Malia Obama has made strides in the industry, interning for HBO series "Girls," serving as a production assistant on Halle Berry's "Extant," and writing for Donald Glover's "Swarm" before debuting an original short at Sundance. Now it seems that her younger sister Sasha Obama has tiptoed into the TV world with a job behind the scenes of Showtime series "Couples Therapy."
This is Sasha Obama's first foray into casting
"Couples Therapy" is one of the most riveting series on Paramount+. The TV show, which follows real-life partners as they navigate relationship troubles with psychoanalyst Orna Guralnik, has a huge following — and believe it or not, Sasha Obama is partially to thank for that. If you watch the credits sequence for the show's fourth season, you'll see the name "Natasha Obama" roll by. This isn't a coincidence nor a case of a distant relative — it appears that Sasha Obama, whose full name is Natasha Marian Obama, worked on the show as a casting interviewer. This means that she would've helped determine which couples ultimately ended up on the therapist's couch in the show.
By working on a documentary series, Sasha is setting herself apart from Malia Obama, who has continuously pursued opportunities in the fictional TV drama realm. It's impressive that each sister has been able to carve out a unique niche within the same field.
Sasha's choice to change her name reminds us of Malia
By using her full name, "Natasha," instead of the one the world knows her by, Sasha Obama is taking a page from Malia Obama's book. When Malia's short film went to Sundance, she chose to promote it as Malia Ann rather than using her notable surname. This decision, of course, was more of a symbolic step beyond her parents' shadow rather than a genuine attempt to hide her identity — a "Meet the Artist" video recorded for the film festival reveals her as the First Daughter we all know and love.
The name Natasha Obama might be a less subtle pseudonym than Malia Ann, but it similarly shows that Sasha is transforming into her own person as her White House days grow farther in the rearview mirror. She's no longer a child, simply known for her connection to the former president — she's a recent college graduate looking to forge her own career path. We're excited to see where the future will take her — maybe she'll end up in the director's chair like her sister, or start a production company like her mom and dad.