17-year-old Malia Baker, who describes herself as an actress and activist, has lately garnered media attention for her role as Chloe Charming in the 2024 musical fantasy movie Descendants: The Rise of Red.
Since an early age, Malia Baker has aspired to work in art, and the whole credit goes to her parents.
During an exclusive talk with Medium three years ago, Malia said, “My dad is a musician, and my mom has done arts … I always knew I was going to be a part of the arts in some way” when asked about the people who stirred in her the passion for being an artist.
Malia Baker has also mentioned that her parents are the biggest influence in her life and the most fantastic human beings she has ever known. Their unwavering support made Malia what she is today.
Malia Baker had written a letter to her father in Botswana when she decided to pursue acting professionally
In an interview with Flaunt, Malia Baker revealed that she was around 10 when she realized she could act and wanted to try her hand at acting.
Right after, she wrote a letter to her dad, who also works in the film industry, stating, “I want to become an actor. I really want to aspire to do this, I’m really motivated to do it. I’m super excited, what do you think?“
In return, her father wrote her a 10-page essay full of encouraging words and reminders that whatever she does in her life, she needs to be entirely focused and uplifted.
This eventually drove Malia to promise herself that she would commit to acting.
At present, the Descendants actress appears to be living apart from her father; however, she shares a close relationship with him.
On Father’s Day in 2020, Malia shared pictures of her childhood with her dad on her Facebook page and mentioned him as the most supportive and caring person she has in her life.
Well, the fact is that Malia’s father, whose name is under media review, is originally from Botswana, South Africa. He is African by nationality and of black descent.
The parents of Malia Baker are no longer together; her mom, Julia Amaris’ Instagram is evidence
On March 9, 2022, Malia’s mother, Julia Baker, announced on Instagram that she had legally changed her name to Julia Alma Loellen Amaris.
In the post, she appeared rebellious against the patriarchal system, stating that her mom’s father, her father, and her former husband’s name no longer fit in her identity.
Here, mentions of the word ‘former husband’ clearly display that she has separated from her daughter’s father.
Further, Julia’s Instagram bio introduces her as the proud mother of Malia and Ivory Baker. She appears pretty content with her current life.
Lately, she has been establishing herself as an activist, advocating against gender-based violence.
But, by profession, Malia’s mother is a researcher and editor at Simphiwe Inc. Before this, she worked as a part-time researcher and writer in several organizations, including Yoga It Up!, MSB Creative Inc., and Neurosciences and Child Health.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she has also worked as a project manager at Youth Health Organization and as a Communications Consultant at Maple Ridge and Family Health International.
Additional Information
- Malia Baker was born to her African father and Canadian mother in Botswana, South Africa, on December 18, 2006. She was two and a half years old when she moved to Canada with her family.
- Her mother, Julia, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Victoria and a Master’s in development studies from the University of the Witwatersrand.
- Malia Baker has 14 acting credits to her name. She has also ventured into production.
- Her younger sister, Ivory Baker, is also an actress famous for ‘You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.’
