Meet Josie Totah — Transgender Teen Who's Starring In New 'Saved By The Bell' Reboot
The 'Saved By The Bell' reboot is finally coming together.
Getty Images Slowly but surely, the Saved By The Bell reboot Is coming together, and now, there's a casting update. Transgender teen actress Josie Totah will be joining the new series, which is set to air on NBC's new streaming service, Peacock, this year.
So who is Josie Totah? She already has a pretty impressive career, and now, she'll become a part of this beloved series, bringing Bayside High into 2020.
1. The Saved By The Bell reboot centers on what happens when Zack Morris becomes the governor of California.
Apparently, he makes a controversial move by closing low-income schools in the area, diverting those students to Bayside ... and those kids don't exactly get along with the ones who are already students there. Instead of Mr. Belding, there will be Principal Toddman, who's trying to navigate life at the school as the kids struggle to coexist.
2. Who is Josie Totah? She's playing one of the students at Bayside.
As a new casting announcement reported, Totah will play a character named Lexie, a "beautiful, sharp-tongued cheerleader and the most popular girl at Bayside High who is both admired and feared by her fellow students."
Sounds like her character might have a pretty hard time coping with all the new students at the school!
3. Totah already has a pretty impressive career.
Saved By The Bell is hardly the first time Totah's been caught on camera — in fact, fans probably know her pretty well from everything she's already done. Not only has Totah starred in shows like Liv and Maddie, Glee, and Mindy Kaling's short-lived NBC series, Champions, but she also played Seymour in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
4. She came out as transgender in an essay in 2018.
In an essay, Totah explained that she realized she was trans while watching an episode of I Am Jazz, starring transgender teen Jazz Jennings. Her mother was supportive of her transition, and although there are parts of her life that are difficult post-transition, Totoah wrote that she's excited to take on roles that allow her to express herself as a woman.
"When my friends and family call me Josie, it feels like I’m being seen. It’s something everyone wants, to feel understood," she wrote. "And, as a semi-religious person who went to Catholic school, I have come to believe that God made me transgender. I don’t feel like I was put in the wrong body. I don’t feel like there was a mistake made. I believe that I am transgender to help people understand differences. It allows me to gain perspective, to be more accepting of others, because I know what it feels like to know you’re not like everyone else."
5. She's now acting and enrolled in college at the same time.
At 18 years old, not only is Totah working toward an acting career she's proud of, but she's also in college at the same time. Although she doesn't post frequently on Instagram, when she does, her posts usually include her friends.
And according to her Instagram bio, she's a part of the Alpha Phi sorority at her school.
6. Totah will have the opportunity to work with some of the original Saved By The Bell stars.
Not only will the reboot include a new cast, including stars like Totah, but original stars from the series will be on the show, as well. Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley are already set to appear, and recently, Mark Paul-Gosselaar confirmed that he'll be coming back (because honestly, what's Saved By The Bell without Zack Morris?).
Judging by how excited fans are for this reboot, it looks like this could end up being a huge role for Totah. Now, we just have to wait for more details. Fingers crossed a premiere date will be released soon!
Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more.