'Saved by the Bell' Lead Role Actor Announced

Fans have been ecstatic over the upcoming Saved by the Bell reboot, and now it's been announced [...]

By Stephen Andrew

Fans have been ecstatic over the upcoming Saved by the Bell reboot, and now it's been announced that the actor in the lead role has been officially cast. According to Variety, Josie Totah — who previously starred alongside Mindy Kaling and Anders Holm in NBC's short-lived sitcom Champions — will be the main star of the series. Totah will reportedly be playing Lexi, a character described as "a beautiful, sharp-tongued cheerleader and the most popular girl at Bayside High, who is both admired and feared by her fellow students."

Totah joins fellow franchise newcomer John Michael Higgins, who will be playing Bayside High's Principal Toddman.

According to a synopsis of the forthcoming reboot, the show will still feature a number of references to the original cast. "When California governor Zack Morris gets into hot water for closing too many low-income high schools, he proposes they send the affected students to the highest performing schools in the state – including Bayside High. The influx of new students gives the over privileged Bayside kids a much needed and hilarious dose of reality."

Previously, it was detailed that the series sequel would also star former Saved by the Bell cast members Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley, who played A.C. Slater and Jessie Spano, respectively.

However, while Zack Morris is being referenced in the series, there is a chance that he may not make an appearance, as actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar previously revealed that had not been part of plans for the new series.

"I read it in the trades just like everybody else this morning," he told Variety while attending the premiere of Mixed-ish last year. "Honestly, I was never approached. I woke up to the news this morning with a kind of 'huh' response."

Gosselaar went on to explain that since he is staring in the new ABC sitcom — which is a spin-off of black-ish — he may not be able to appear in the upcoming NBC produced series.

"I'm on ABC, so it doesn't really fit into that considering Disney+, so I understand the business side of things," he stated. "But I had no idea it was that far along."

There is no word on if any other former Saved by the Bell stars — such as Dustin Diamond, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Lark Voorhies, Dennis Haskins or Leanna Creel — will appear alongside Lopez and Berkley.

The Saved by the Bell reboot will be airing exclusively on NBC's new streaming service, Peacock, which it is currently scheduled to launch in April.

Photo Credit: NBC

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