About
Amandla Stenberg is an American actor, writer, and musician who first captured hearts as Rue in The Hunger Games (2012). Since then they have led a string of thought‑provoking projects, from the romance Everything, Everything (2017) to the searing police‑brutality drama The Hate U Give (2018). More recently, they stepped into the galaxy far, far away, headlining Disney+’s mystery‑thriller Star Wars: The Acolyte, scheduled to arrive on June 4 2024, as well as voicing Spider‑Byte in Spider‑Man: Across the Spider‑Verse (2023). Beyond the screen, Stenberg’s outspoken social‑justice commentary, their comic‑book heroine Niobe, and their folk‑rock duo Honeywater have cemented a reputation as a multi‑hyphenate artist who blends creativity with activism.
In 2015 and again in 2016, TIME placed Stenberg on its annual list of the world’s most influential teens, highlighting how their voice on race, gender, and identity resonates far beyond Hollywood. Open about using both she/her and they/them pronouns—and about identifying as non‑binary and gay—Stenberg has become a visible champion for LGBTQ+ youth, insisting that stories onscreen and off reflect the complexity of real lives.
Before Fame
Born on October 23 1998 in Los Angeles, California, Amandla—whose Xhosa‑ and Zulu‑derived first name means “power”—was raised by writer‑spiritual counselor Karen Brailsford and Danish father Tom Stenberg. They also trace Greenlandic Inuit heritage through their paternal grandmother. Childhood photo shoots for Disney catalogues and national commercials for brands like Boeing and Kmart introduced them to performing before they were old enough for elementary school.
By eleven, Stenberg had already filmed the action thriller Colombiana (2011); a year later, their soulful portrayal of Rue opposite Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games turned the pre‑teen into an overnight international star. Early TV work on Sleepy Hollow (2013–14) and steady film roles laid the foundation for the leading parts that would follow.
Trivia
- Musical side‑quest: Stenberg is half of the indie‑folk duo Honeywater, singing and playing violin alongside songwriter Zander Hawley; their self‑titled EP dropped in 2015 and continues to stream on Spotify.
- Comic‑book creator: With writer Sebastian Jones, they co‑wrote Niobe: She Is Life (2015) and its sequel Niobe: She Is Death (2017), making history with a Black woman protagonist, writer, and illustrator on a nationally distributed series.
- Cultural critic: Their viral short “Don’t Cash Crop My Cornrows” (2015) sparked debate on cultural appropriation and earned praise from academic circles as an example of Gen Z digital activism.
- Award magnet: For The Hate U Give they won an NAACP Image Award and an African‑American Film Critics Association Award, plus Critics’ Choice and Washington D.C. Film Critics nominations.
- Digital detox: In 2017 they famously gave up smartphones for months, later sharing that the hiatus improved mental health and creativity.
Family Life
Stenberg grew up in a tight maternal household steeped in literature and spiritual practice, crediting their mother for encouraging activism and artistic curiosity. They have two older half‑sisters on their father’s side and savor a multicultural identity that spans African‑American, Danish, and Inuit roots.
Honest about personal growth, Stenberg came out as bisexual in 2016, clarified that pansexual felt accurate soon after, publicly embraced non‑binary identity that same year, and later described themselves as gay in a 2018 interview. Past relationships include musicians King Princess (2018) and Lindsey Jordan of Snail Mail (2018–20). In 2020 they spent several months in Copenhagen to maintain dual U.S.–Danish citizenship and reconnect with Scandinavian family ties.
Associated With
- Jennifer Lawrence & Liam Hemsworth – co‑stars who introduced Stenberg to blockbuster audiences during The Hunger Games era.
- Nick Robinson – onscreen partner in the YA romance Everything, Everything, where the duo’s chemistry anchored the film’s gentle optimism.
- Issa Rae, Regina Hall, and Algee Smith – collaborators in The Hate U Give, a team hailed for authentic portrayals of Black lived experience.
- Leslye Headland – showrunner guiding Stenberg through Jedi lore on The Acolyte, giving them a lead role within the Star Wars universe.
- Beyoncé & Solange – mentors admired by Stenberg since appearing in Beyoncé’s Lemonade visual album, an experience they recall as life‑changing for its celebration of Black womanhood.
