Amandla Stenberg is a talented American actress, musician, and activist known for her powerful breakout role as Rue in The Hunger Games and her acclaimed lead performance as Starr Carter in The Hate U Give.
With her thoughtful portrayals, advocacy for social justice, and authentic representation of Black and queer experiences, she has inspired a generation of young artists to use their platform for change while blending acting, music, and filmmaking with bold creativity.
Essential Data
- Full Name: Amandla Stenberg
- Stage Name: Amandla Stenberg
- Born: October 23, 1998
- Age: 27 years old
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
- Nationality: American
- Ethnicity: Biracial
- Occupation: Actress, Musician, Activist
- Height: 5’3” (160 cm)
- Religion: Christianity
- Parents: Tom Stenberg and Karen Brailsford
- Siblings: Two
- Spouse: None
- Children: None
- Relationship: Single
- Net Worth: $4 million USD
Early Life and Education
Amandla Stenberg was born on October 23, 1998, in Los Angeles, California, United States. She was raised by her parents, Tom Stenberg, a Danish music promoter, and Karen Brailsford, an African-American spiritual counselor and writer, in a creative and culturally rich household.
Amandla has two older half-sisters on her father’s side and traces Greenlandic Inuit ancestry through her paternal grandmother Ena Stenberg. She started modeling for Disney catalogs at age four and attended public school before switching to a private school on Los Angeles’ Westside.
She briefly enrolled at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2016 to study filmmaking but chose to focus on acting instead. Her ethnicity is biracial. Her religion is Christianity.
Career
Amandla Stenberg began her professional journey with child modeling and commercials before making her film debut as the young version of Zoe Saldana’s character in Colombiana (2011).
She gained international recognition for her role as Rue in The Hunger Games (2012), followed by roles in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
Her performance as Maddy in Everything, Everything (2017) showcased her potential as a romantic lead, while her critically acclaimed turn as Starr Carter in The Hate U Give (2018) earned widespread praise and multiple awards for her nuanced portrayal of a teen navigating police brutality and activism.
She starred in Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) as Sophie, appeared in The Eddy (2020), and took on the role of Osha Aniseya in the Star Wars series The Acolyte (2024).
Additional credits include voice work in Ozi: Voice of the Forest and upcoming projects like Wildwood (2026, voice) and Children of Blood and Bone (2027) as Princess Amari.
As a musician, she debuted with the folk-rock duo Honeywater in 2015 and released tracks like “Let My Baby Stay.” Known for her advocacy on race, gender, and LGBTQ+ issues, Amandla continues to select roles that challenge norms and amplify underrepresented voices while developing projects as a producer and filmmaker.
Awards and Nominations
- African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress (The Hate U Give)
- Hollywood Film Award
- NAACP Image Award
- Nominations for Critics’ Choice Award, MTV Movie & TV Award, Teen Choice Award, and Black Reel Awards
Social Media
- Instagram: @amandlastenberg
- TikTok: @amandlafr
Personal Life
Amandla Stenberg, 27, is currently single and not engaged. They identify as non-binary and pansexual, using both she/her and they/them pronouns.
Her publicly known past relationships include a brief romance with artist Mikaela Mullaney Straus (King Princess) from early 2018 to late 2018, and a relationship with singer-songwriter Lindsey Jordan (Snail Mail) from 2018 to 2020.
An earlier prom date with Jaden Smith in 2015 sparked rumors but was not a confirmed romantic relationship. Amandla has no children and maintains a private yet outspoken personal life centered on activism, self-discovery, and creative pursuits. Their height is 5’3” (160 cm).
Net Worth
Amandla Stenberg’s net worth is estimated at $4 million USD. Their income primarily comes from acting roles in major films and television series, including The Hunger Games franchise, The Hate U Give, and The Acolyte; music releases and soundtrack contributions; voice-over work; brand endorsements; and growing opportunities as a producer and activist influencer in the entertainment industry.
Discography/Filmography
- The Hunger Games (2012) – Rue
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) – Rue
- Everything, Everything (2017) – Maddy
- The Hate U Give (2018) – Starr Carter
- Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) – Sophie
- The Acolyte (2024) – Osha Aniseya
- The Eddy (2020) – Julie
- Colombiana (2011) – Young Cataleya
- Ozi: Voice of the Forest – Ozi (voice)
- Wildwood (2026) – voice (in production)
- Children of Blood and Bone (2027) – Princess Amari (post-production)
- Honeywater (folk-rock duo, 2015)
- “Let My Baby Stay” (solo track)