Name: Mandla Morris
Age: 14
Hometown: Calabasas, Calif.
Now Lives: In the same two-story modern house in Calabasas where he grew up, with his mother, Kai Millard Morris, and older brother, Kailand.
Claim to Fame: Mandla is the son of Stevie Wonder and is starting to make a name for himself as a singer, TV personality and actor. In 2018, he had a cameo in “A Star Is Born,” playing the son of the pastor.
Big Break: Mandla made his television debut last year as a contestant on “Dancing With the Stars: Juniors,” where he finished in fifth place. Memorably, he danced the foxtrot with Brightyn Brems while his father sang “Isn’t She Lovely.” The competition came at an opportune time in his young career. “When my dad got the call from ‘Dancing With the Stars: Juniors,’ I was like, ‘Of course I want to do this,’ because I thought it would be super fun,” he said.
Latest Project: Mandla will be featured in a new ad campaign for Ugg shoes alongside the model Slick Woods. He is also in talks to develop a show with Brat TV, the YouTube production company behind the web series “Chicken Girls” and “Total Eclipse,” which are popular with Gen-Z viewers.
Next Thing: Mandla is working on songs that he hopes to release as an EP next summer. “I want it to be about me finding myself as a new artist, and I definitely want this album to be something that my audience can relate to,” he said. Meanwhile, he is a ninth grader at a private school in Southern California.
Designer Dreams: Mandla is not only following in the footsteps of his father but also his mother, who had a fashion line called Kai Milla. Inspired by Pyer Moss and Virgil Abloh, Mandla designs what he calls “high-end streetwear,” including flared trousers with side zippers. “That’s one of my favorites, and that’s one Kim said he really liked,” he said, referring to Kim Jones, the creative director for Dior Homme, whom he met in Paris with his mother.
