Barack Obama shared his reaction to his daughter Malia dropping her last name for his directorial debut..

The former president said he warned her that not giving her name would hide her connection to her famous parents.

“His first movie went to Sundance and all these fancy film festivals, and it didn’t have Obama as a director in the credits,” he said. Tuesday’s episode of the “Pivot” podcast.

“And I said, ‘You know they’re going to know who you are.'”

He later explained that Malia wanted viewers to watch her movie “The Heart” regardless of her connection to the Obama family.

“And he said, ‘You know what? “I want them to watch this for the first time and not have that association at all,” Barack, 63, said.

The proud father of two also shares his 23-year-old daughter, Sasha. with his wife Michelle Obama – also explained that her daughters are not interested in using their status to get ahead.

“I think our girls are doing their best not to take advantage of that,” she said.

“Promised Land” The author also said his daughters don’t want him or Michelle, 60, to take advantage of themselves in their careers.

“The challenge for us is to allow us to give them any assistance,” Barack said. “So they are very sensitive about these issues. “They are very stubborn about this.”

“View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg He came to Malia’s defense Earlier this year, the 26-year-old actress introduced herself as “Malia Ann” in her directorial debut.

“Apparently some people on the internet are criticizing him for this, claiming that everyone knows it’s Obama, so there’s no point in hiding it,” Goldberg, 68, said on the talk show in February.

“If he knows it’s Obama, why do you care? Why do you care what he calls himself? he continued.

“If she wants to call herself Jeanette MacDonald, she has the right to do so! If I can be Whoopi Goldberg, she can be whoever she wants to be!

Malia last appeared on the red carpet At the Deauville American Film Festival in September to promote the short film.

She rocked the brand’s plaid Vivienne Westwood gown, which featured a Sunday corset and asymmetrical long skirt.

Malia completed the look with black knee-high leather boots and hoop earrings.

While on the red carpet at the event, she admitted that she “doesn’t know much about fashion” but was “happy to wear” the designer outfit.