Fans of A.C. Slater and Zack Morris are getting ready for a return of their fave characters in NBCUniversal’s upcoming Saved By the Bell reboot—but there’s more! The Hollywood Reporter recently revealed the show has cast transgender actress Josie Totah in the starring role.

Reportedly, Totah will star as popular cheerleader Lexi. The character is a beautiful teen who is admired, yet feared, and will rule Bayside High School in this remake of the late ’80s/early ’90s NBC tween hit.

Totah, who also starred in NBC and Universal’s comedy Champions (produced by Mindy Kaling) came out as transgender in a 2018 essay she wrote for Time. The actress wrote, “When I was really young, growing up in a small town in Northern California, people would just assume I was gay. On the playground, I was the type of kid who wanted to sing with the girls, not play soccer with the boys.” She continued, “Then I found myself playing that role once I got into the entertainment industry, and people kept assuming my identity.”

The soon-to-be Saved By the Bell actress went on to add, in her Time essay, “My pronouns are sheher and hers. I identify as female, specifically as a transgender female. And my name is Josie Totah.”

Along with Totah, former Saved By the Bell stars Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley will go back to Bayside to reprise their original roles. The show will debut in April 2020 on NBC’s new streaming service, Peacock.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Josie Totah via Instagram 

 

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