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Transgender actress Josie Totah set to star in Saved by the Bell reboot

By Molly Catherine Turner

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: J.J. Totah attends the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 28, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: J.J. Totah attends the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 28, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) /
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Transgender actress Josie Totah has been cast as the lead in NBC’s Saved by the Bell reboot alongside Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley.

Josie Totah has been cast as the lead in the Saved by the Bell reboot for Peacock, NBC’s soon-to-launch streaming service. Totah will play “Lexi, a beautiful, sharp-tongued cheerleader and the most popular girl at Bayside High who is both admired and feared by her fellow students.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Tracey Wigfield (30 Rock) revival of the popular 90s  show will dive into:

"…what happens when California Gov. Zack Morris (Mark Gosselaar’s role) gets into hot water for closing too many low-income high schools and proposes the affected students be sent to the highest-performing schools in the state — including Bayside High."

Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley are set to reprise their roles from the original series alongside new face Totah. The series will be one of the few big name pieces of original content for NBC’s share of the streaming wars.

Though Totah is best known for her starring role in the Mindy Kaling helmed comedy Champions, she is a scene-stealer in everything she’s in, from bit parts inThe Other Two and Other People, to more high profile Disney roles.

Totah came out as transgender in 2018 after the premiere of Champions in a beautiful essay for Time:

"“In the past, I’ve halfway corrected people by telling them I identify as LGBTQ. I wasn’t ready to be more specific. I was afraid I wouldn’t be accepted, that I would be embarrassed, that the fans who knew me from the time when I acted in a Disney show would be confused.But I realized over the past few years that hiding my true self is not healthy. I know now, more than ever, that I’m finally ready to take this step toward becoming myself. I’m ready to be free.”"

For those wanting to watch this amazing and hilarious young actress, Peacock is set to launch at some point in April of this year and will apparently be free to cable subscribers.

Saved by the Bell does not yet have an air date. But, in the meantime, you can watch Champions and Other People on Netflix.

Next. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s third season trailer will definitely get stuck in your head.. dark

What are your thoughts on Josie Totah joining the Saved by the Bell sequel? Or on the revival generally? Let us know! 

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