Amandla Stenberg is an American actress, singer, and activist. She was born on October 23, 1998, in Los Angeles, California.
Stenberg is best known for playing Rue in The Hunger Games.
Who is Amandla Stenberg?
Amandla Stenberg started working in front of cameras before she could read a script on her own. She began catalog modeling for Disney at age four.
That early start led to her breakout film role at 14. Stenberg played Rue in The Hunger Games in 2012, a performance that introduced her to a global audience.
She has since built a career across film, television, and music. Along with acting, Stenberg has become known for her outspoken activism on race and LGBTQ+ issues.
Early Life of Amandla Stenberg
Amandla Stenberg was born in Los Angeles to Karen Brailsford and Tom Stenberg. Her mother is an African-American spiritual counselor and writer, while her father is a Danish businessman.
She has Greenlandic Inuit ancestry through her paternal grandmother. That mix of backgrounds, African-American, Danish, and Greenlandic Inuit, has shaped much of her public commentary on identity.
Stenberg has two older half-siblings from her father’s side. She began working as a child model for Disney at four years old, then moved into commercials for brands including Kmart and McDonald’s before shifting toward film.
Amandla Stenberg Age
Amandla Stenberg is 27 years old as of 2026, born on October 23, 1998. Her zodiac sign is Scorpio.
She was only 14 when The Hunger Games made her a household name in 2012. That early breakthrough set the pace for a career that has spanned more than a decade since.
Amandla Stenberg Ethnicity and Nationality
Amandla Stenberg holds American nationality. She is of African-American, Danish, and Greenlandic Inuit descent, drawing from both her mother’s and father’s family backgrounds.
She has spoken publicly about how that mixed heritage informs her activism. In 2016, Stenberg came out as non-binary and uses both she/her and they/them pronouns.
Amandla Stenberg Height and Weight
Amandla Stenberg stands at 5 feet 3 inches, or about 160 centimeters. Specific current weight figures are not confirmed by a reliable source.
She has a slim build and an oval face shape, according to profile descriptions tied to her modeling work. Stenberg has modeled for publications including Vogue and Glamour alongside her acting career.
Amandla Stenberg Musical Side
Beyond acting, Amandla Stenberg formed the folk-rock duo Honeywater in 2015 with a friend. The pair released an EP together that year, marking her first serious step into music.
In 2017, she released a cover of Mac DeMarco’s “Let My Baby Stay” for the soundtrack of Everything, Everything, the film in which she also starred. The song served as her debut solo single.
Music has remained a secondary pursuit alongside her acting work. She has not released a full studio album, but the Honeywater EP and her Everything, Everything single remain her most documented musical output.
Amandla Stenberg Education
In 2016, Stenberg announced on Instagram that she planned to study filmmaking at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. That announcement came as her acting career was already gaining momentum.
Her acting workload expanded quickly after that announcement. Roles kept arriving throughout 2017 and 2018, and her college plans did not end up shaping her public career path in the years that followed.
Amandla Stenberg Career
Early Career
Amandla Stenberg landed her first film role in Colombiana in 2011, playing a younger version of the lead character. She was just 12 years old during filming.
The following year brought her breakout part. She played Rue in The Hunger Games (2012), a role that earned her the Teen Choice Award for Best Chemistry alongside Jennifer Lawrence.
From 2013 to 2014, Stenberg appeared as Macey Irving on the Fox series Sleepy Hollow. She also voiced Bia in the animated film Rio 2 in 2014, then starred in the sitcom Mr. Robinson in 2015.
Breakthrough Roles
Stenberg’s adult career took shape with Everything, Everything in 2017, where she played lead character Maddy Whittier and recorded a song for its soundtrack. The following year brought her most acclaimed role.
She played Starr Carter in The Hate U Give (2018), a drama about a teenager who witnesses a police shooting. The performance drew widespread critical praise and expanded her profile beyond young adult franchises.
That same year, she starred as Ruby in the science fiction film The Darkest Minds. In 2021, she took on the role of Alana Beck in the movie musical Dear Evan Hansen.
Recent Work
Stenberg played Sophie in the horror comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies in 2022 and voiced Margo Kess, known as Spider-Byte, in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in 2023. Both projects added to her range across genres.
In 2024, she took on dual lead roles as Osha and Mae Aniseya in the Star Wars series The Acolyte on Disney+. The show sparked significant online discussion, and Stenberg spoke publicly about facing backlash tied to her casting.
She is now set to star as Princess Amari in Children of Blood and Bone, an adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s novel from director Gina Prince-Bythewood. Stenberg appeared alongside co-stars Thuso Mbedu and Chiwetel Ejiofor to promote the film at CinemaCon in April 2026.
Amandla Stenberg Filmography
- Colombiana (2011) as young Cataleya Restrepo
- The Hunger Games (2012) as Rue
- Sleepy Hollow (2013-2014) as Macey Irving
- Rio 2 (2014) as Bia (voice)
- Mr. Robinson (2015) as Halle Foster
- Everything, Everything (2017) as Maddy Whittier
- The Hate U Give (2018) as Starr Carter
- The Darkest Minds (2018) as Ruby
- The Eddy (2020) as Julie
- Dear Evan Hansen (2021) as Alana Beck
- Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) as Sophie
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) as Margo Kess (voice)
- The Acolyte (2024) as Osha and Mae Aniseya
- Children of Blood and Bone (in production) as Princess Amari
Amandla Stenberg Awards and Recognition
Stenberg won the Teen Choice Award for Best Chemistry for The Hunger Games. She has also received an NAACP Image Award during her career.
Time magazine included her on its list of Most Influential Teens in both 2015 and 2016. She has also picked up nominations for four Black Reel Awards and a Critics’ Choice Award.
Amandla Stenberg Girlfriend
Amandla Stenberg has dated both men and women throughout her public life. She was linked to actor and rapper Jaden Smith around 2014 and 2015, with the two attending prom together before splitting later that year.
In 2018, she briefly dated musician King Princess. From 2018 to 2020, she was in a relationship with indie musician Lindsey Jordan, known professionally as Snail Mail.
As of 2026, Stenberg has not publicly confirmed a current partner. She has generally kept her more recent personal life private.
Amandla Stenberg Net Worth
Amandla Stenberg’s net worth is estimated at around $2 million as of 2026.
Her income has come primarily from film and television roles, starting with The Hunger Games franchise and continuing through recent projects like The Acolyte and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
She has also earned modeling income through campaigns and magazine features.
Amandla Stenberg Social Media
Amandla Stenberg is active on Instagram, where fans can follow her work updates and public statements. Her account went offline for several months in late 2025 before returning in April 2026 around the promotion of Children of Blood and Bone.
She has used her platform over the years to speak on activism topics, including a widely shared video on cultural appropriation titled “Don’t Cash Crop My Cornrows.” Stenberg also discusses her identity and career milestones through interviews tied to her film releases.
The Bottom Line
Amandla Stenberg’s breakout came at 14, playing Rue in The Hunger Games in 2012, a role that won her a Teen Choice Award. She followed that with acclaimed work in The Hate U Give in 2018 and dual lead roles in The Acolyte in 2024.
Stenberg grew up in Los Angeles with African-American, Danish, and Greenlandic Inuit roots, and she came out as non-binary in 2016. She has used her platform consistently to speak on race, identity, and LGBTQ+ issues.
She is currently preparing for the release of Children of Blood and Bone, playing Princess Amari opposite Thuso Mbedu and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The film marks her return to a major franchise after The Acolyte’s single season.
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